


I'm Your Man

by she_whomustnotbenamed



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Family, Mainly jopper, Romance, byers/hopper family drama, jopper baby fic with a twist, other ships aren’t main focus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2019-05-07 13:41:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 43,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14672262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/she_whomustnotbenamed/pseuds/she_whomustnotbenamed
Summary: After Bob's death, Joyce just wants to forget. Her mission to do so, comes with one hell of a problem.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm Your Man is a fabulous Leonard Cohen song that gives me amazing Jopper vibes. You should all listen. And think of Jim Hopper. It's magic. 
> 
> This is/will be a multi-chapter pregnancy/baby fic. I don't believe it'll ever happen in the show, but it's a fun plot to ponder. Some people may end up hating me for this one. Please direct all hate to my fellow Tumblr angst queens: scullys-shoulder-pads and this-is-allison for encouraging this twisty plot and cheering it on. ;) j/k. Direct the hate at towards me. I don't mind.

**May 1985-Present Day**  
  
Joyce’s hands shook as she held up the offending object. Her fears were confirmed when two bright blue lines eventually appeared. She didn’t need to take another test to know that it was accurate. Having done it twice before, the symptoms of early pregnancy weren’t new to her.  
  
Joyce glanced at her reflection in the mirror. The defeated, guilt ridden woman who stared back at her wasn’t one that she recognized. As her chest constricted, breathing became hard. With a clank, the test slipped from her hands and landed in the sink. There, it sat abandoned, a stark reminder of what she had done.  
  
Angry tears filled her eyes as she doubled over. She didn’t have to wonder how it happened, or who, or when, or where. The sex may have been unforgettable, but the events that followed weren’t. Images of Hopper, drifted to her mind. Her stomach grew queasy at the thought of explaining this to him. Crying felt stupid and immature, but she did it anyway. She cried for what she was about to lose. And everything in between.  
  
  
**December 1984**  
  
“When we agreed to give them space, I didn’t think you’d take it so literally,” muttered Joyce. Her nervous gaze drifted around his trailer before landing on him. “We’re a little far, aren’t we?”  
  
Hopper sat beside her on his threadbare couch. He took a long sip from his beer and then clanked it against the one she had in her hand. “It’s closer than your place.” The geography of Hawkins was a fact that couldn’t be argued, so she settled her face into a frown instead.  
  
“Joyce, it’s New Year’s Eve.” Hopper pointed to the TV where Dick Clark was introducing a popular band. As the only channel that was coming in clear, they had no choice but to watch. “We’re giving em’ three hours. And look, only two left now.” He shoved his wrist watch into her face until she playfully pushed it away. They both tried to ignore the jolt of electricity that shot through them when their skin connected.  
  
“I know, I know.”  
  
“Keep drinking,” he joked. He himself, wasn’t all that comfortable with the kids wreaking havoc at the cabin on their own, but he had agreed to a compromise with his adopted daughter. She agreed to entertain her friends at the cabin, where she would be safe, and he agreed to give them a couple hours of space in return. That part was easy. Getting Joyce to agree, was the hard part. Her attention was on the TV, allowing him to cast sneaky glances her way. She wasn’t okay, not that anyone expected her to be. ‘Every day, it’ll get a little easier.’ That’s what he said, and he really believed it, even though it had yet to happen.  
  
Joyce continued to nurse her beer until she eventually sat the half full container on the coffee table. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she chastised. “He’s out there, where that...that thing almost killed him...and I know it’s gone. I know. But it’s like I can’t picture anything else.” Her teeth nibbled on her thumb nail as she met his eyes. “I know I’m acting crazy.”  
  
“You’re not acting crazy.” One long arm put his beer down while the other went around her shoulders. “There’s nothing wrong with you. Okay? Let’s get that straight right now.” He couldn’t let her go down that dark path. “It’s that fucking lab, they’re in the wrong. Not you.”  
  
Hopper’s voice was soft, yet firm. It comforted her in a way that no one else's could. Joyce let out a sigh that turned into a bitter chuckle. She just wanted one day where she didn’t feel the absolute suffocation of grief and anxiety. The nightmares and near panic attacks were emotionally and physically draining. For the first time in her life, she longed for numbness. Surely feeling nothing was better than feeling everything all at once.  
  
Hopper grazed her cheek with his hand so that she would look at him. “Hey, you aren’t the problem. You never were.”  
  
His intense gaze never left hers, even when her lips started to tremble. It was as if he was trying to stare right through her. It set her nerve endings on fire. Back when they dated in high school, he often stared at her that way, as if he was completely amazed by her. She had hated it then, and teased him mercilessly about it. Now...it wasn’t so bad. Joyce felt her cheeks burn as his other hand cupped her cheek. He moved to kiss her forehead, but she intercepted his lips with her own.  
  
His surprise was evident as his body stilled. Her lips and tongue begged for entrance and he didn’t keep them waiting long. Soon, his surprise wore off and his tongue hungrily met hers. Their kisses were fast and sloppy as their arousal grew. To get better leverage, Joyce straddled his lap. His hands moved to her ass and their bodies ground against each other in a familiar rhythm that time hadn’t erased from their memories.  
  
Hopper’s hands traveled up her shirt. The smooth feel of her bare skin made him groan. Taking control from her, he pulled his lips away so that he could focus his attention on the curve between her neck and chest. Her tiny moans shot right to his groin.  
  
“I just wanna forget, Hop,” she said, as she forcefully found his lips again. They kissed deeply for a while before she pulled away and begged, “help me forget.”  
  
Her words were like a slash of cold water. She didn’t have to elaborate. He understood exactly what she meant. The lust filled fog suddenly cleared from his mind. Joyce didn’t notice. Or maybe, she just didn’t care. Her fingers traveled up his shirt and dug into his chest. Her tongue lapped against his Adam’s apple, his neck, and his ear. His conscience went to war with his libido. He wanted her, but not like this.  
  
“It won’t work.” His voice was gruff. Her body was still grinding on top of his and he involuntary rose to meet it. Her lips stilled, but remained against his neck. The sensation drove his nerve endings crazy. “This won’t help.”  
  
Her response was quiet and weak. The confidence that she had displayed just minutes ago had already evaporated away. “I can try.”  
  
Hopper’s heart felt like it was breaking in two. If he thought for one second that sleeping with her would help, he would do it. He would do anything to take her pain away. Unfortunately, he knew better. He was well versed in that area. He slipped his hands out from underneath her shirt and then pulled the hem down so that it was covering her back. “You’ll only feel worse.” His hands went again to her face so that he could see her and her body finally stilled.  
  
Tears filled her round eyes. “I won’t,” came her choked reply. She was on the verge of sobbing.  
  
Gently, he pressed his lips against hers one last time and then smiled with remorse. Turning her down wasn’t easy. “We’ll both feel worse.” Her forehead crinkled in confusion, but he didn’t give her a chance to respond before adding, “I can’t be that guy.” Three years ago, two years ago, hell, even one year ago, he could have been. He would have been. He was different, than before. Things were different than before...and he was finally able to recognize that he loved her too much too make such a huge mistake.  
  
Betrayal flashed briefly across her features as tears slipped out of her eyes. The sting of rejection burned up her throat. She pulled her hands out from under his shirt and crossed her arms. “You always know how to make a girl feel special.”  
  
Joyce’s sarcasm bounced right off of him. For once in his life, he wasn’t plagued with self-doubt. “You need to feel. You need grieve. And you need time.” He hoped that her lack of argument meant that she understood.  
  
With a scowl, she made her way off of his lap. She immediately missed his body heat as she returned to her seat by his side. They sat catching their breath, without speaking. Dick Clark’s excited voice drifted through the room and they pretended to be paying attention, but really they were too lost in thought to notice.  
  
With a tension breaking sigh, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, so that she was molded into his side. It was their go to position lately, and he hoped that wouldn’t change. “It’s gonna be a good year, Joyce.”  
  
“That’s what you said last year.”  
  
“I was full of shit last year. I’ve gotta good feeling about this one.”  
  
Joyce played with the frayed hole in the knee of her jeans. She didn’t feel all that optimistic, or hopeful, but she pretended to be, mostly so that he would stop talking. “Maybe you’re right.” Closing her eyes so that her tears wouldn’t spill out again, she begged her mind for numbness. Then she wouldn’t have to pretend.  
  
**March 1985**  
  
As she sat in Karen’s car outside an unfamiliar bar in Jonesboro, Joyce self-consciously tried to yank her simple black dress over her pale knees. She had no business wearing so little clothing while there was still snow on the ground, and she felt stupid.  
  
“Stop messing with it,” said Karen. She stared into the rear-view mirror and fluffed her hair. “It’s supposed to be short.”  
  
“I’m freezing.”  
  
“Well, you look hot.”  
  
Joyce made a face. “Come on, Karen.” She sat up so that she could share the mirror with her friend. “I look like an exhausted mother whose trying too hard. I shouldn’t even be here. The boys…”  
  
Karen cut her off. “Don’t.” She shot her friend a stern look. “Will’s spending the weekend at my house and Jonathan’s with Nancy. Your boys will be fine.”  
  
“I could have picked up another shift at the store.”  
  
“You work enough as it is.” Karen pouted her lips and ran a hand over her red lipstick.  
  
Glancing out the window at the lively bar, Joyce frowned. “This was a stupid idea.” She crossed her arms as if she were defending her body from the world around her.  
  
Karen had enough. “Joyce! We’re doing this. It’s been five months since Bob. Jim was just telling me how much you need to get out. You need to have some fun.”  
  
Joyce bristled at the fact that Hopper was talking to Karen about her. “Since when did you two get so close?” It was hard to hide her outrage, but it was easy to hide her jealousy.  
  
Karen sent her a wink. “Since Michael started dating Jane. I still can’t believe what that poor girl has been through. Never knowing she had a father…and then her mother dying so suddenly like that. It’s just awful.”  
  
Joyce didn’t need to hear the story. And that’s what it was. A story. One that she had helped Hopper come up with. So far, no one had made the connection between Jane and Eleven. And it was imperative that no one ever did. “He’s really changed a lot, Joyce. You should give him another chance.”  
  
“He had a few too many chances, already. Thank you,” Joyce said, with an annoyed click of her tongue.  
  
“High school doesn’t count.”  
  
An argument came to her, but it died before it reached Joyce’s lips. Karen didn’t need to know what had transpired between her and Hopper over the holidays. No one did. It was done and over with. The memory of him groaning into her mouth as she straddled his hips suddenly made her shiver.  
  
“Karen. This isn’t about me. None of this is.” Her hands fluttered in front of her like two tiny birds. “You just wanna get back at Ted for being such a jerk.”  
  
Karen’s lips curved into a wry grin. Grabbing her purse, she then turned off the car. “Let’s forget about them, tonight.” Joyce had no choice but to follow her out into the cold night.  
  
***  
Completely naked, Joyce sat up in bed with a gasp. Unsure what had woken her from sleep, she glanced around the unfamiliar motel room as her heart pounded against her chest. At first, she didn’t know where she was. A chill ran up her spine until the vivid memories of the night before slammed back into her head. Drunk Karen. The smoky bar. Too many shots…and a handsome accountant passing through town who invited her back to his hotel room. The spot beside her was empty. She vaguely remembered John bidding her goodbye to catch his flight. At least, she thought his name was John. Her fuzzy brain could only remember that it started with a J.  
  
An impatient knock at the door made her jump. It didn’t stop. The knocks grew louder and louder and she dizzily searched for her dress and pulled it on. Haphazardly, she threw open the door and then groaned when the bright morning sun hit her square in the face. A tall shadow stepped in front of her, blocking the assaulting light.  
  
“Hopper?” She eyed up his uniform clad frame before meeting his eyes.  
  
Beneath his mustache, scruffy beard, and sunglasses, Hopper’s features were unreadable. The sudden opening of the door had surprised him as much as his knocks had surprised her. Silently, he looked her over. His jaw set and locked. His fists were clenched, ready to fight if need be.  
  
Feeling self-conscious under his heavy stare, she smoothed down her dress and swept strands of her hair behind her ears. Did she look as bad as she felt? Looking in the mirror hadn’t been a priority during her abrupt wake up call. “What are you doing here?”  
  
Hopper was tempted to throw the question back at her, but instead, he asked, “do you have any idea what time it is?” His body relaxed slightly with relief at the fact that she was okay.  
  
Joyce looked down at her left wrist, only to remember that she hadn’t worn a watch to the bar. She was tempted to ask him what time it was, but his condescending tone made her feel defensive. “What are you even doing here?” Her night out with Karen was supposed to be an escape. She wasn’t supposed to worry about things, especially not Hopper.  
  
“Karen called me when she couldn’t reach you this morning.” His hand moved to rest on the door. The movement caused it to push slowly open. He took off his sunglasses and didn’t even attempt to hide the way his eyes drifted around the room, checking for another occupant. When he spotted the messy bed, and her discarded undergarments on the floor, his darkened gaze moved back to hers. “She was worried.”  
  
It was clear to Joyce that Hopper knew full well what had gone on the night before. Shame quickly scorched her stomach. Her cheeks went immediately red. The whole point of a one night stand was for it to be just that. A one night stand. She didn’t want to think about it. Ever.  
  
Needing to get away from him, Joyce rolled her eyes and fled back into the room. “She’s got some nerve,” came her incredulous response. “The whole night was her idea in the first place. How’d you even find me?”  
  
“I’m a cop, Joyce.” He stood unmoving in the doorway until he summoned the courage to follow her inside. “Was it her idea to leave with a stranger?”  
  
Joyce whipped around at his accusation. A withering glare was already plastered across her face. “No.”  
  
Hopper let out a harsh puff of air. His body was stiff as he stood deathly still. Eventually, he ran a hand over his hair and spat, “what the hell were you thinking?” Her behavior was so out of character with the woman he knew, that his brain couldn’t comprehend what was going on.  
  
His question ignited her temper. “Excuse me?” She abandoned her quest to gather her things. “You of all people should know what a one night stand is.” Her comment was meant to hurt him, but it sparked his anger, instead.  
  
“At least I kept it local.” He enunciated the word ‘kept ‘on purpose and continued to speak in the past tense. “I didn’t find a motel in the middle of fucking nowhere.” He was hell bent on reminding her that he was a changed man.  
  
Joyce ignored his dig. “I’m fine, Hop! See?” She motioned around the room and shook her head. “I can take care of myself, though I could use a ride home, once you fall off your judgmental high horse.”  
  
It wasn’t just the fear of something happening to her that had him angry. Jealousy had reared its ugly head the second Karen called him and now, standing in the room where another man had been, he was practically seething. “I’m not judging.”  
  
“Like hell, you aren’t.” Her hands went to her hips. “And I know you’re not jealous. You had your chance at this.” His eyes darkened even more as he strode towards her. Joyce wasn’t afraid of him, but instinct had her backing up anyway, until her back ran into the wall behind her.  
  
“You think I like this? The fact that you’d rather fuck some jackass in a bar than be with someone who loves you?” His body loomed over hers. Their difference in height was made even more apparent by her bare feet. It would have been so easy to reach out and touch her, but he didn’t trust himself. Instead, he put his hands above her head, on the wall.  
  
His admission wasn’t some big revelation. They had been skirting on the edge of something more than friendship since New Year’s Eve. It wasn’t a fact that they were hiding from each other. They had discussed it, over and over. They had confessed their feelings. Their fears. Their demons. It should have been easy. Falling together. But nothing in their lives was ever easy. He wanted all of her. The whole package...and she just...wasn’t ready for all of that yet. The knowledge had added a new level of complication to an already complicated friendship. Quickly she shut her eyes to block out the memory of his fingertips dancing up her shirt and over her breasts.  
  
The space between Hopper’s brows furrowed with tension. “I’ve been down this road, Joyce. I know what loss does to people. I know this isn’t what you really want.” He took his eyes off of hers to glance around at the seedy motel room. “You’re better than this.”  
  
Instead of comforting her, his words made her feel instantly humiliated. Shameful tears crept to her eyes. Using her strength, she put her hands to his chest and shoved him away from her. He was right, on all counts, but her pride refused to admit it. “You don’t know what I want! You’re just pissed because someone else got what you turned down!” Refusing to look at him, she grabbed her things and threw her heels on. “I didn’t go stepping into your business when you slept your way through town. So stay the hell out of mine.”  
  
Hopper let out a disgruntled groan and kicked at the wall. “You wanna make me the bad guy, because I want more than a quick fuck, fine. That’s fine. I’m the one in the wrong then, I guess, silly me for wanting more.” He threw his hands into the air to keep them from pounding into the wall. He thought that they had an understanding, an understanding that they were building towards something, eventually, once she was ready. Realizing that he had been wrong about that left him feeling raw and emotional.

  
“You wanna self-destruct? Go right ahead. It’s not like I was ever able to stop you before.” Bitterly, he added, “just look at your track record.” Hopper regretted the words as soon as they slipped out of his mouth, but there was no taking them back. Joyce was already storming towards him, fists in the air, ready to strike.  
  
“Go to hell,” she yelled, as her hands shoved him back. He could have easily grabbed her wrists to stop her, but he let her ineffectual fists continue their onslaught. “You have no right.” He backed up until he was at the door to the room.  
  
Their relationship had always been intense. They were volatile together, like two rockets, ready to explode. Time hadn’t changed it. Now, instead of teenage hormones, they had years of trauma, sexual frustration, and grief to work through. “I’ll wait outside,” he snapped. He had to walk away before things got out of control.  
  
“I can find my own way home,” she argued, despite the fact that the feat seemed nearly impossible with what little cash she had on her.  
  
From the sidewalk, Hopper bellowed, “I’m not leaving you here.” No matter how angry or hurt he was, he couldn’t leave her. “I’ll wait out here all damn day. You know I’ve got nothing better to do.”  
  
“Of course not. Why would the chief of police do his actual job!”  
  
They yelled back and forth from the open door until they simultaneously realized that their argument was getting nowhere, fast. Ignoring him, she got into his truck and refused to speak the entire way back to town. For once, he was fine with it. He didn’t want to speak to her, either.  
  
**April 1985**  
  
The bell chimed as Hopper strolled into Melvald’s. It drew Joyce’s attention, but only briefly. This didn’t surprise him. Two weeks had passed since their argument and they had been awkwardly attempting to avoid each other ever since. It wasn’t all that easy to do.

  
With faux confidence, he made his way to the counter and waited until she finished counting the till. His presence rattled her. Her hands shook as she forcefully slammed the drawer shut. When she finally looked at him, her brown eyes were an impenetrable vault of indifference.  
  
Opting to cut right to the chase, he asked, “can we talk?” He kept his tone casual, hoping to hide his desperation. Two weeks was too long. He realized that now.  
  
Her shoulders, which had been hunched forward, drew back at his question. “I’m working.”  
  
Hopper took off his sunglasses and glanced warily around the deserted store. “Joyce, I’ve seen ghost towns with more people in it.” The controversial new mall was ruining local businesses.. Melvald’s was still fighting for life, but it wouldn’t take long for it to be gone too.  
  
Joyce groaned in frustration. “Don’t remind me.” The possibility that she would be jobless soon was just another addition to an already long list of things weighing her down. To avoid him, she went to work dusting the already spotless counter.  
  
Annoyance crept up his spine. He pursed his lips shut to keep himself from lashing out at her behavior.. After staring at her for far too long, he reached out and stopped her movements with his hand. Her round, shock filled eyes finally met his and he used the opportunity to smile pathetically. “Jane misses you.” He realized instantly that his charm wasn’t going to work when she pulled away and glared at him.  
  
“She was just over for dining Monday night.” The girl had grown close to Will and even closer to Joyce. The Byers’ residence was one of the few places that Hopper felt comfortable letting her visit.  
  
Shaking his head when he realized how stupid he sounded, Hopper pinched his nose and stuttered, “I...I mean…I miss you.” His ego, temper, and pride has slowly dissolved after their fight. He was sorry, for everything. Acknowledging it to himself was one thing, saying it out loud, to her, was another.  
  
Joyce’s mask of indifference cracked and eventually broke at his words. The stubborn part of her wanted to deny him access to her feelings, but she was easily lost in his kind eyes. “I missed you too.”  
  
Letting out an audible sigh of relief, he leaned over the counter so that his body was completely invading her personal space. “I’m sorry. I’m a jerk, I really am.”  
  
She came back at his fast. “A judgmental asshole, is what you are.” Her tone lacked any real bite to it. Her anger, like his, was long gone. It was replaced by sadness, guilt, and regret.  
  
Hopper smiled at her inability to beat around the bush. “I know it. And I’m workin’ on it.”  
  
Joyce’s brow arched in surprise. “What, is there a class for that?” It was easy to fall back into their playful banter.  
  
Hopper gratefully played along. He would gladly take any lifeline she threw at him. “Jane teaches it twice a week. I’ve repeated twice now, but I think I’ve got it this time.”  
  
Despite her inner turmoil, she smiled, big and wide. Being around him just felt right. It felt normal in a way that she hadn’t felt in a very long time. He smiled too. It was hard not to. They stared at each other like fools in love until her thoughts turned serious and her smile faded. “Hop, I’m sorry.”  
  
“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”  
  
“No, I do.”  
  
A shadow passed by the glass windows and they both turned to see an older woman making her way into the store. He straightened up fast, but then looked back at Joyce with a serious expression. “You don’t.”  
  
The woman came into the store and stared at them with curiosity. “I’ll be back for those office supplies later,” Hopper said. “Save the good staples for me. You know how Flo gets.”  
  
Rather speechless from what had just transpired, Joyce only nodded and then smiled at the woman who was still staring.

**May 1985 -Present Day**

A knock at the bathroom door startled Joyce from her position on the floor. “Mom? Are you alright?” called Jonathan.

A whispered curse left her lips as she slowly stood up. Between bouts of crying and nearly throwing up, she had completely forgotten that she was supposed to be getting ready for work. Joyce cleared her throat and prayed that her observant son wouldn’t notice her scratchy voice. “Yeah, sweetie.”

“I made breakfast.”

Just the thought of food made her stomach churn again. “Thanks. I’ll be out in a minute.” The fake smile she plastered across her lips must have resonated in her voice, because she soon heard his footsteps walking away. Quickly, she tossed the test and all its packaging back into the generic paper bag. She couldn’t risk leaving any evidence. She wasn't sure how she was going to make it through the day, but she had to try. She had no other choice.

 

 


	2. Chapter Two

Hopper was impatient while he waited for Joyce to open her front door. He scratched at the spot on his head where a dull headache was forming and fought down the urge to peek in her windows. Her car was there, so his concern grew with each knock that went unanswered. Finally, she put him out of his misery by answering the door. “Is everything okay?” came his rushed question.

Dressed in baggy sweatpants, a too big t-shirt, and bare feet, she looked almost childlike. “What do you mean?” Frowning, she glanced down the driveway towards his truck and then studied his work uniform. “Did something happen? Is it Will?”

“No, no. Nothing like that.” Embarrassment colored his cheeks. “You, uh...weren’t at work. Donald said you called out sick.” She could take care of herself, he knew that, but he couldn’t help but worry when things strayed out of the ordinary. He was now wired that way. They all were. 

Joyce’s face blanched. “I haven’t been feeling well.” In the week since taking the pregnancy test, her nausea had intensified. 

“Are you sick?”

“Um…” her voice trailed off as she avoided his eyes. It was clear that Hopper wasn’t going to accept anything less than the truth. Ready or not, she was going to have to come clean. “Do you wanna come in?”

Brows furrowed in concern, he silently accepted her invitation and followed her into the house. “Joyce, are you okay? Donald said you’ve never called out sick before.”

Joyce led him to the kitchen. With a sigh, she sat down at the table. She could see his fear grow with each passing second of silence. It was now or never. She had to tell him, but fear gripped her chest like a vice when she tried. “Hopper, I’m…I’m not sick.” Anxiety bubbled up from her stomach as she stared at his perplexed features. Her breathing sped up, and went shallow. “I’m pregnant.”

Her heavy statement wasn’t left hanging in the air for long. His response was a soft, yet stunned question. “What?”

“I’m pregnant,” she repeated, with even less confidence.

Joyce could tell the exact moment that her words finally registered in his mind. His face fell and he quickly covered it with his hand. The air around them grew stale and sticky as he turned away from her. She watched his back for a few long seconds before she spoke up. “Hop?”

His pained response soon followed. “Just, give me a minute here.”

It was impossible to keep her fingers still. They twisted and tore a napkin to shreds before starting on another. She couldn’t give him a minute. She felt obligated to explain, “this um…wasn’t planned.”

Hopper turned back around with his hand still covering his face. “Jesus, Joyce.” Every bone in his body told him to flee. This conversation, this problem…it wasn’t his responsibility; however, his heart kept him rooted in place. Her body deflated under his heavy stare. She slouched forward, like she was trying to take up the least amount of space as possible.

“I’m not mad,” Hopper ended up saying. Then, he cringed. The words sounded stupid outside of his head. He wasn’t sure what to say. He wasn’t sure of anything anymore. When his knees buckled out from under him, he ungracefully plopped down into the closest chair.

Joyce sighed. “I am.” She was half expecting him to lash out. Call her names. Remind her that he had been right all along. Once it became clear that she was the only one angry, she let her walls crumble down.

Out of habit, Hopper reached to his pocket for a cigarette, but then never got around to actually lighting it. To protect his heart, that felt like it was breaking apart, he erected a stoic façade, one that he had perfected over the years. “So, am I right in assuming that Mr. Jonesboro is the father?”

Joyce’s forehead crinkled. “Mr. Jonesboro?”

Hopper shrugged in faux indifference. “I don’t know his name.”

Her face colored. “I don’t either.”

An accusation slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it. “Are you kidding?”

“Don’t judge me!” came her warning tone.

They would be right back to fighting if he wasn’t careful, so he tried to make things right. “I’m not.”

Joyce’s brown eyes bore into his until he grew uncomfortable and glanced away. Her hormones were already out of whack, making her feel weepy and cranky. She laid her head down on the table and let the fake wood cool her burning face. “It’s his.” Joyce shut her eyes as she added, “there’s no one else it could be.”

The implication that she hadn’t repeated her night of self-destruction perked him up a bit. Once it became clear that she wasn’t going to add any more information on her own, he asked, “what are you gonna do?”

Joyce sat up and sadly shook her head. “I don’t know.” Uttering the words filled her with instant guilt. Despite her rocky marriage, her boys were planned. She wanted them, no matter what. So far, she had yet to feel that with this pregnancy. The idea that she didn’t want her own child made her feel even worse about herself. Tears filled her eyes when she met Hopper’s soft gaze. Silent understanding passed between them.

“Have you gone to the doctor yet?” It had been a long time, but he still remembered how it all worked. 

Her eyes moved to focus on the floor. “No.” Going to the doctor would make it all too real. Suddenly his warm hand was on top of hers. Acting on their own accord, her fingers wrapped themselves around his.

“I think you should make an appointment. I think it’ll help you get some clarity, you know? Help you figure things out.” His voice was soft and calm and didn’t show a hint of the turmoil that he felt inside.

“Yeah, I guess I should.” Completely miserable, she pulled her hand away and sat back in her chair. The prospect of bringing another life into the world wouldn’t seem so utterly terrifying if Hopper were the father. As a couple or not, he would have been by her side. Now, even with the life growing inside of her, she felt utterly alone. It rendered her unable to think clearly.

Hopper put his cigarette back into his pocket and the motion caused her watery eyes to find his. “I’d offer you one, but I hear it’s frowned upon these days,” he lightly teased.

The corner of her mouth curved into a small smile of appreciation. He was good at relaxing her, no matter what the circumstance. “I’ve been too nauseous to smoke, anyway.”

Hopper watched as her smile faded. The air around them grew serious once again. “Do you need anything? I could run out to the store for you.”

“No, I’m okay. Thanks.”

Not surprised that she had denied his offer, he let out a sigh and stood up. His limbs were shaking and he hoped that she couldn’t tell. “I’ve gotta get back, before Flo flips out.” An awkward silence surrounded them when they both realized that they didn’t know what to say next. Finally, he let out a sigh and said, “call me if you need anything, okay?” He waited until he got a soft nod from her before leaving.

Hopper drove just far enough to be out of sight before pulling over. His truck was barely in park before he climbed out. Desperate for air, he took heaping gulps of it as he leaned against the truck. His chest seized, choking him in the process. Soon his hands were balled into fists and painfully pounding against the truck.

His mind longed for control, but he would get no relief in that department. He would lose Joyce for good, now. He was sure of it. Any hope that he had of ever being with her was shattered. Selfish, jealous thoughts invaded his mind. Where would a baby leave him? Where would it leave their already complicated friendship? He couldn’t get his racing thoughts under control.

It took Hopper a long time to calm down and even longer to get back into his truck. On the drive to the station, he found himself wishing that the baby was his, and that thought, hurt most of all.

***  
It took Joyce a week to build up the courage to call the doctor, and then it took another week for her to actually go. It came as no shock when the doctor confirmed her diagnoses. What did shock her, was the haunting sound of the baby’s strong heartbeat. It had echoed through the exam room, and now, even hours later, was echoing constantly through her mind.

Hopper was lighting an old charcoal grill when she made it to his trailer. The crisp smell of burning coal wafted past her nose. Soon it would be summer, and the smell of smoke and sunscreen would be a permanent fixture in the air.

He offered her a quick nod as she joined him. “Hey, stranger.”

Sheepishly, Joyce nibbled at the corner of her bottom lip. “Hey.” They hadn’t seen much of each other lately and she wasn’t sure who should take the blame for that. An apology was on the tip of her tongue, but it never made it any further.

Hopper let his eyes travel over her body. He searched for signs, signs of the life growing inside of her, but he found none. She wasn’t showing yet. “I could have dropped him off,” his insisted.

“It’s okay, I was on my way home from work, anyway.” Joyce motioned towards the trailer. The open windows revealed silence within. Her nose scrunched into a frown. “Are they alive in there? They’re never that quiet at my place.”

“Haven’t heard a peep from them since I came out here.” Hopper took long sips from his beer and followed her gaze. “They’ve been busy drawing for some new campaign. They tried to explain it, but I zoned out after two minutes.”

“Welcome to my world,” she lightly teased. As the warm breeze blew hair into her face, she allowed herself a moment to relax. The kids were safe. Hopper was safe. The town was safe. It was a good feeling, but as always, it didn’t last long. Soon the sound of the tiny heartbeat was in her ears again. It grew louder and louder until she couldn’t tell the difference between it and her own.

“Hey, you okay?”

His concerned question pulled her out of her reverie. She shook her head, and then a sudden wave of dizziness hit her hard. Hopper’s hands went to her shoulders. Her vision blurred as the scenery began to spin. He was the only thing holding her up as her legs turned to jelly. 

“Joyce, take some deep breaths,” he instructed, while lowering her into a lawn chair. “Here, try some water.” Seemingly out of nowhere, he produced a green canteen that he helped her take tiny sips from. His worried brows were directly in her face as he fussed and fretted over her.

“I’m okay,” she managed to whisper, once the world was right side up. He was in a chair beside her, studying her as if she would break apart at any second. “They took a bunch of blood at my appointment. I’ve been getting dizzy all day.”

His eyes shifted from relief, to confusion, to something else entirely. “You went?”

“This morning.”

“That’s, uh…good. That’s good.” Nervously, he swept his hand through his hair. “What’d they say?”

“December 23 is my due date.”

“Due date,” he numbly repeated. His throat burned with the sudden urge to cry. “Right before Christmas, that’s…wow.” His thoughts were too jumbled and his emotions were too raw to say anything too coherent.

Joyce lowered her voice. She was having just as much trouble speaking. “Yeah. Wow.”

Hopper cleared his throat. “So, you’ve made up your mind, then?” His question came out bolder than he wanted. He quickly fixed it. “I mean, did the appointment help?”

Joyce folded her body forward, her elbows went to her knees. Her head went into her hands. She had no business coming to the decision that she had. It was crazy. She was too old, too poor, and too alone. For once, she let her anxieties flow freely out of her mouth. She kept going and going, listing all the reasons that she shouldn’t do it, that she shouldn’t bring another child into the world, until she finally ran out of things to say.

Hopper listened without interrupting. He was a good listener that way. When she was done, his finger moved to arm, urging her to sit up. “Yeah, but do you want the baby?” Mindful of the open windows, he kept his tone so low that it was barely audible. Joyce’s lost gaze found his and it took his breath away.

Tears slipped out of the corners of her eyes. With a shy nod, she said, “I didn’t.” Annoyed with herself for crying, she swiped at her cheeks and let out a sigh. “But then I heard the heartbeat…and…” she grew too choked up to continue.

Hopper finished for her. “That’s your kid.” Joyce took some deep breaths to get herself together while he scratched at his mustache. “I get it.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. I do.” He really meant it, too. He knew all along what her choice would be. And deep down, he felt that she did, too.

They sat in a semi-comfortable silence for a long time after that. With the grill unattended, the smell of charcoal was more potent than before. The early evening sun was fading and he was getting hungry, but he made no move to leave her side. Over the past two weeks, he had managed to push his own despair deep down, inside his mind. He was hoping it would stay there, locked up tight, so that he could be strong for her. There wasn’t much he could do to make her feel better, but he could at least be there for her.

Unexpectedly, Joyce reached for his hand and when they met eyes again, she softly smiled. “Thank you, Hop.”

Hopper shook his head and squeezed her hand. “Hey, don’t thank me. Okay? We’re friends and I’m here for you. Always.”

The word, ‘friends,’ made her chest ache. They had a chance to be more, so much more…and she had ruined that chance. Feeling emotional again, she blinked and looked away. He had wanted more before, but she couldn’t expect him to want more now. Not when it entailed even more baggage than before.

Neither moved to pull their hands away, so they remained locked, in a powerful hold, until Jane and Will joined them. It was Hopper, who reluctantly pulled away once he heard Jane’s voice. 

“Joyce!” From behind, Jane wrapped her arms around Joyce’s shoulders and squeezed tight.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

“Can you stay for dinner?”

Will stepped into her line of sight and smiled. “Hi, mom.”

Hopper beat Joyce to a response. “I’m cooking up some hamburgers.”

With her arms still around Joyce, Jane interjected, “Cheeseburgers!”

Hopper ignored her correction. “There’s plenty. You two should stay.”

“Can we?” Will all but begged. He had been spending a lot of time with Jane at the trailer. He liked it there. The pond and peaceful scenery provided a lot of inspiration for new drawings.

“It’ll cheer you up,” whispered Jane.

Knowing that she was entirely outnumbered, Joyce sighed and patted Jane’s hands. The girl’s intuition and perception constantly amazed her. Joyce hesitated, but only for a second. If nothing else, dinner would provide a nice distraction from her spiraling thoughts. “Well, we’d have to let Jonathan know. He’ll worry if we don’t come home.”

Hopper stood up so that he could start cooking. He motioned to Will. “Call your brother. Tell him to come for dinner.”

With a surprised look, Will glanced to his mother for approval. Once he got a silent nod from her, he didn’t waste any time darting towards the trailer.

“Hopper, you don’t have to feed us.”

“Come on, Joyce. Let me show off my grilling skills. They’re better than my cooking skills, that’s for sure.” Her lips curved into a soft smile and his own lips instantly responded. He didn’t know where they stood. Or what place he would have in her life, but he was hell bent on taking what he could get. 

“Jonathan’s coming,” called Will. He ran back to them and then out of breath, added, “he’s bringing Nancy.”

Joyce made a face. “Baby, that’s rude.”

“Sorry,” mumbled Will.

Hopper wasn’t fazed by the addition. “Hey, that’s okay, kid.” He held up the spatula and shrugged. “The more the merrier.”

Jane released her hold on Joyce. “A Barbecue!” She exclaimed. Excitement was evident on her features and it was contagious.

“The first of many. That’s what summers are for.” Hopper reminded her. He shared a meaningful look with Joyce before concentrating on his burgers. “You kids get over here, you can learn a thing or two.” 

Joyce was happy to watch as they took turns flipping burgers. The faint sound of the earlier heartbeat returned to her ears, but it was drowned out by grilling trio, and it didn’t overwhelm her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your support on this angst journey. I've always wanted to write a 'Jopper' baby fic, but I could never seem to get anything solid going in my head. Once I started throwing this plot around, it just stuck and I couldn't get past it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I really didn't think that anyone would wanna go down this dark path with me, so I'm so happy that you guys are enjoying it so it far!
> 
> I apologize in advance for the cliche pregnancy craving in this chapter.

Everyone enjoyed the impromptu Barbecue so much, that it quickly became a weekly event. Hopper even purchased a large picnic table set, to make it more official. Each week, dinner grew more and more elaborate as the trailer became a revolving door of teens. On this night, in late June, Nancy, Mike, and Dustin arrived with armfuls of desserts that Mrs. Wheeler had helped them prepare. 

Joyce was busy organizing the food in Hopper’s small kitchen, when he stepped in with a plate of raw meat. “I might have to splurge on a new grill soon. This one's on its last legs.”

Joyce kept her focus on a tray of cupcakes. “We’ve got some left at the store.” The blue and red icing was melting off from the summer heat. She was determined to save them. With a frown, she added, “70% off.” Melvald’s was officially closing. By the end of the summer, she would be jobless, and with it, another weight added to her already sagging shoulders. 

Hopper mindlessly grabbed a beer out of the fridge. “I’ll have to stop in before this one craps out.” His can popped open with a loud hiss. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead and then rested the can against his face.

Out of the corner of her eye, Joyce noticed Hopper staring at her. “What?” When he didn’t stop staring, she stopped to shoot him a confused look. “What are you looking at?”

Sheepishly, he darted his gaze away. “Nothing.”

“Hopper.” She pointed an icing covered finger at him. “What is it?”

The kitchen didn’t leave much room for personal space. He tried not to crowd her, but his large frame made it nearly impossible. “Joyce, uh, when are you gonna tell the boys? You know, about the baby?” the last part of his question was almost inaudible.

The pair had spent the last few weeks blatantly ignoring her pregnancy. It was always there, of course, hanging heavy between them, but they never acknowledged it. It was easier to live in denial. His sudden mention of it annoyed her.

“I don’t know.” She went back to her task, but found herself too flustered to concentrate.

“I think, it’s gonna have to be soon.”

With a dramatic sigh, she gave up on the cupcakes and stole a napkin to wipe her hands. “What are you talking about, Hopper?” The longer she waited to tell Will and Jonathan, the harder it became. Inevitably, she had to tell them. She was well aware of that fact, but the thought of explaining the circumstances to them, left her feeling panicked.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s getting kinda obvious.”

Her movements stilled. Self-consciously, she glanced down at her loose white t-shirt. She had been blessed with a petite frame that hadn’t changed much, even during her first two pregnancies. Her third pregnancy, however, was proving to be the exception. Her old ripped jeans barely fit and she was grateful that most of her shirts weren’t form fitting.

Hopper hesitated. Discussing a woman’s weight was never wise, so he opted to tread carefully. “I can see it in your face.”

Her hands went immediately to her cheeks. Then, she shot him a glare. “Don’t say that.”

Hopper shrugged “Sorry.” He wasn’t all that sorry, though. To him, she had always been beautiful, but now, he noticed it even more. “Pregnancy looks good on you, if it makes you feel better.”

Joyce ignored his compliment as anxiety built up inside of her. It was always like this. She would have moments of complete peace, where she was calm and content, and then, like a sudden bolt of lightning, it would be ruined by some glaring reminder of impending doom. If pregnancy was doing wonders for her appearance, it certainly wasn’t doing wonders for her battle with anxiety. 

“I can’t tell them,” she insisted, while pulling the corner of her bottom lip with her teeth.

Hopper heaved a deep chuckle. “They’re a little old to believe that Santa left a baby under the tree, Joyce.”

Joyce swatted his bare arm, and then fanned her flushed face. The hottest part of the day was done. The sinking sun provided some relief, but their bodies acted like a furnace in the confined space. “They’re not gonna wanna hear that their mom got knocked up by some guy in a bar.”

Hopper nodded in agreement, but then smirked. “It’ll be hard to have those condom talks with them after this, that’s for sure.”

Even in the worst of times, their banter was like a comfort blanket. They slipped in and out of seriousness with skilled precision. Their shared history, once considered a weakness before the events of the past two years, now worked in their favor.

“I’m screwed.”

Hopper crossed his arms. Dryly, he said, “Just tell them it’s mine. Everyone will be thinking it anyway.” His joke was met with her disapproving frown and he was instantly confused. “What’s the face for?”

To the tiny part of her that wished that the baby was his, the joke felt like a slap in the face. Instantly, her walls went up to protect herself. “That’s the last thing I need.”

Straightening up, Hopper’s features turned tense. He was offended, but wasn’t sure why. “So telling them that I’m the father would be worse than the truth?”

Refusing to get into an argument over something that could never be, Joyce rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t even matter, Hop. John’s the father and I’ll have to tell them that, and then die of embarrassment.”

“John?” bristled Hopper. “I thought you didn’t know his name?”

“I don’t know his last name.” 

Hopper crossed his arms. His entire demeanor grew dark as jealousy raced through him. “Right.” Up until now, the man was a ghost. A nobody. It was easy to pretend that he didn’t exist at all. But now, he had a name, and it wouldn’t be long before his mind started inventing a face to add to it.

Joyce noticed the obvious change in him, but didn’t want to think too much about it. Thinking too much would only lead to trouble. Instead, she glanced out the window where six teens of various ages were playing Frisbee. The air around them was tense and she was eager to end the conversation. Luckily, the smoking grill gave her an out. “I think the grill’s ready. Or it’s on fire.”

Hopper followed her gaze out the window and then cursed under his breath. Brooding in silence, he grabbed the plate of meat and let the door slam shut on his way out.

***  
Dinner with 8 people crammed around a picnic table was chaos, but it was the good kind of chaos. The kind of chaos that one misses years down the road when things are entirely too quiet and too mundane. Despite their earlier tension, Joyce and Hopper were fine together once they were distracted by the conversations around them.

During a lull, Jonathan pointed to his mother as she finished her third pickle. “Since when do you eat pickles?” He looked to Will who was seated beside him. “Have you ever seen her eat a pickle?”

From across the table, Will watched as Joyce licked the tangy juice off her lips. As if he were the parent and she were the child, he suspiciously said, “You hate pickles.”

Joyce played off her craving with an indifferent shrug. “They’re not so bad.”

Beside her, Hopper held up the pickle jar to examine it. “I’d say so. They’re almost gone.”

Surrounded by her kids, their friends, and Hopper, Joyce was in good spirits, so she didn’t take their teasing seriously. “This coming from the guy who invented the ‘Ego-Extravaganza’.”

Hopper’s mouth curved up into a guilty grin. “Touché.”

Neither adult noticed Jane’s perplexed expression. Sandwiched in between Mike and Will, she studied Joyce with hawk like focus. Then, out of the blue, Jane’s flat toned comment stunned the table into silence. “Pregnant.”

Hopper, who had just taken a sip of water, started to choke. The commotion diverted the attention away from Joyce’s blanched face. “Jesus,” he blurted, once he recovered. “What are you talking about?” 

Jane didn’t understand what the big deal was. “Erica’s pregnant. She loves pickles.”

Hopper’s heavy brows furrowed. “Erica?”

It was Nancy who explained, “Yeah. Erica Kane, from All My Children.” She smiled down the table at Jane. She herself, indulged in the guilty pleasure from time to time.

“We’re talking about TV?” Hopper let out a disgruntled sigh.

“Hey, it’s a good show!” exclaimed Nancy.

Jonathan nudged her gently in the side. “None of that stuff’s real, you know. It’s not like my mom’s pregnant just because she likes pickles.” His eyes were bright with playfulness and he had a smile on his face, until he looked at his mother’s panicked expression. His face fell as he asked, “Right, mom?” Joyce looked away, but her gaze fell on Hopper, and Jonathan watched in horror as they exchanged a furtive glance.

The table was so quiet, that you could hear a pin drop. Hoping to save Joyce from humiliation, Hopper spoke up. “TV rots your brain.”

Jonathan spoke right over him. “Mom?” He got her attention by asking, “Are you pregnant?”

Without making a sound, Joyce’s mouth opened and closed. Shamefully, she kept her gaze on her son as she nodded in confirmation. She wanted to reassure him. She wanted to be the mother he needed, but in that moment, she was frozen in fear. Her vision tunneled, so that only his angry expression was visible to her.

Jonathan’s cheeks turned red. “You’re pregnant.” It was a statement, not a question. He looked away from her to stare accusingly at Hopper. “She’s pregnant?” 

Hopper immediately held up his hands. “Hey, don’t look at me. I’ve got nothing to do with this.” The words sounded light hearted in his head, but didn’t come out that way. Helplessly, he looked to Joyce, only to find a hurt look on her face. Hopper tried to apologize, but their attention was soon stolen by Jonathan.

“If it’s not him, then…then who?” His body was tense with the emotions that he was bottling up. “Do you have some boyfriend lurking around?” 

Everyone was waiting for an answer. Under their heavy stares, Joyce’s anxiety grew. She looked to Will and his wide brown eyes rendered her speechless. When she finally could speak, her mouth was painfully dry. “Let’s talk at home.”

Jonathan was up and standing before she had even finished speaking. Incredulously, he spat, “At home?” His mind raced, as he tried to put all the pieces together. “You’re having a baby and you wanna talk at home?”

“Jonathan,” Joyce begged.

Instead of listening, he crossed his arms and glared back at her. “I don’t wanna talk at home. I don’t wanna talk, at all.” As his emotions took over, his voice rose to a yell. He completely forgot his surroundings and the fact that they had an audience. “I don’t understand you, mom! I don’t understand what the hell you’re doing.”

It was Hopper who gruffly responded, before Joyce could. “Calm down, kid.”

Jonathan snorted and shook his head. An anti-authoritative remark was on the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t say it. He didn’t look at anyone before storming away, towards the lake.

Hesitantly, Nancy stood up. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Byers.” She looked to Joyce and then towards her boyfriend’s fleeing form. “I’ll go talk to him.” Nancy turned away, but then stopped, as if she had forgotten something. With a sheepish smile, she turned back around and addressed Joyce again. “Um, congratulations…on the baby.” With an awkward nod towards Hopper, she went after Jonathan.

Everyone at the table was quiet for so long that the silence grew painful. Dustin and Mike shared puzzled looks while Will played with his food. Jane glanced between the adults, desperately trying to comprehend what was going on around her.

Out of the blue, Joyce closed her eyes and put a trembling hand to her mouth. “I’ll be back.” Her morning sickness, that had been getting better, was now back with a vengeance. She darted away from the table and into the trailer before anyone could say anything.

Lips pursed in concern, Hopper watched her go, and then pinched the bridge of his nose. He thought about following her, but then he noticed Will and Jane’s fearful expressions and stayed put. “She’ll be okay.”

“I’m sorry,” insisted Jane. “I hurt her.”

Hopper was confused. “She’s not upset, she’s just been getting sick sometimes.”

As if Hopper knew nothing about women, Dustin advised, “Um, she’s definitely upset.” 

Mike, who was sitting beside Dustin, shoved his friend in the side. “Mrs. Byers isn’t upset at her, though.” He then turned his attention to Jane. “It’s not your fault, El.” Mike and Jane’s hands were already joined, so he squeezed it for reassurance.

The girl eventually believed him, though it didn’t make her thoughts any clearer. Her brown eyes shifted to Hopper. “Joyce is having a baby. Not you?”

Hopper’s face was hidden in his hands. Dustin chuckled at her statement, but Hopper understood exactly what she meant. This wasn’t the type of discussion he wanted to have ever, let alone at the dinner table. He removed his hands and swiftly nodded. “Yeah.”

Jane’s face grew determined, in the way it always did when she was on a mission for answers. “You’ll be the dad, though?”

Her question threw him through a loop again. “No, Jane...the baby isn’t mine. I’m not the dad.”

“You will be.”

He tried not to lose his patience, but it wasn’t easy. His back ached from the picnic table bench and his mind kept wandering to Joyce. “That’s not how it works.” Off in the distance, he could just make out Jonathan and Nancy’s silhouettes as they walked towards his car. “We can talk about it more, later. Okay?” He was eager to end the discussion, once and for all. He wasn’t the father. That fact couldn’t be changed, and Joyce seemed fine with that. Her earlier words were still running through his mind.

Jane shot him an incredulous glare. “But you knew she was having a baby.”

Hopper finally lost his patience and with it, his voice rose. “Yeah kid, I knew. Alright? So what? We’re friends. You and I will talk about it later.” In reality, he hoped that the subject would never come up again, but he knew that was next to impossible.

“Why later?” came Dustin’s outraged question. Hopper stared him down with a deathly still stare, but Dustin wasn’t intimidated. “What? It’s not like she’s gonna be any less pregnant later.”

Mike made a disgusted face. “It sounds weird when you say it like that.”

Dustin rolled his eyes. “It’s Biology. Look it up.”

“Ew. Gross. What the hell, Dustin. I’m not looking it up.”

“Mrs. Byers is pregnant.” Dustin motioned to his stomach with his arms. “As in, having a baby…as in, Will’s gonna have a baby around the house, soon. Why is no one getting this?”

In frustration, Mike threw a hamburger bun at his friend. Dustin caught it in one hand and lobbed it back at him. They kept up their antics until Hopper’s stern tone told them to quit it. His tense features kept them from continuing. His face softened however, when he noticed that Will had remained quiet for far too long.

“You okay, buddy?” Hopper’s annoyance evaporated as Will helplessly shrugged. “Hey, I know it’s a shock.”

Though he was a teenager, Will’s eyes were filled with childlike innocence. “My mom has a new boyfriend? I didn’t know that.”

“Oh.” Hopper couldn’t help him there. “Uh, well, you’ll have to talk to her about that.” He couldn’t be the one to explain things to him, and he felt bad about that.

“I thought maybe…” Will’s cheeks colored as his words trailed off. Shyly, he ducked his head down. He was too embarrassed to finish his sentence.

Jane, however, wasn’t embarrassed. She took right over where Will left off. “We thought you were her boyfriend.”

Hopper’s brows arched in surprise. “What?”

“You’re always together.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m her boyfriend,” he insisted. With a groan, he looked to the trailer and was relieved to see Joyce making her way back. He could deal with monsters, mayors, and mayhem, but when it came to four teenagers with too many questions, he had to throw in the towel. Hopper got up and met Joyce halfway.

She answered his question before he had a chance to ask. “I’m okay.”

Her face was pale and clammy. He shook his head in disbelief. “I can hold down the fort, if you wanna go sit down inside.” His eyes darted back to the table before refocusing on her. He had done a terrible job of holding things together while she was inside before, but he would try it again, for her.

“Thanks, but I should go home.” Frantically, she looked around his tall frame until she saw her son. “Will, honey, let’s go.” She had lost all control over the situation and was desperate to regain some. Hopper moved to put his hands on her shoulders, but she stepped back before he could. In a no nonsense tone, she snapped, “I’m fine, Hop.”

Looming over her, he stared her down intensely before finally giving up. Seconds later, Will was at their side. “Jonathan left with Nancy.”

Joyce let out a dejected sigh. “Okay.”

Hopper squeezed Will’s shoulder, but spoke only to her. “Call me if you need to talk later.” At her sour look, he spoke even louder, “I mean it. Call me.” She didn’t respond, but, he wasn’t surprised at that. Silently, he watched her walk away. Around him, the crickets chirped and at the table, the three remaining teens spoke in hushed whispers. Hopper stood there until the sun sank beneath the horizon and the lightning bugs began to blink.

***  
Joyce’s hands gripped the steering wheel tight on the way home. Will hadn’t looked at her, not once. Driving didn’t stop her from constantly glancing his way, though. The silence was too much. It was worse than an awkward conversation.

Finally, she had enough. “Baby, talk to me. Please.” As a family, they had been through worse. She wasn’t going to let this destroy them.

Will’s response was soft. “I don’t know what to say.” He wasn’t angry, like his brother, but he wasn’t happy, either. His unhappiness radiated off of him in invisible waves.

Joyce let out a relieved breath. At least he said something. In that moment, she would take anything. “Okay, how about how you’re feeling?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’d be cool…to have a baby around.” His words were optimistic, but his tone lacked the excitement needed to pull it off. The idea of a younger sibling didn’t scare him, like the Shadow Monster or the Upside Down, but it felt off in a way that he couldn’t put into words.

She hadn’t practiced what to say, but luckily, her many years of parental experience took over. “It’ll be an adjustment. For all of us…I know. It’s taking me a long time to process it all, too, but it’ll be okay. We’ll figure it all out, as a family. Like always. I promise.”

Will met her eyes and managed a weak smile. The idea of his mother being pregnant embarrassed him. He didn’t want to think about any of it, but he had questions, ones that his mind wouldn’t allow to go unanswered. “Who’s your new boyfriend?” 

This time, Joyce kept her eyes on the road. She allowed silence to drift between them for a bit as she thought about the best thing to say. Honesty had always been her policy when it came to being a single parent. She let it guide her. “I don’t have one.” At a stop sign, she finally glanced towards Will again and her face fell at his confused expression. “The babies father...he um, well. He’s not from around here. So he won’t be involved in this.” A horn behind them honked loudly and she let out a sigh when she was forced to move her eyes back to the road in order to drive. 

It took Will some time to understand the meaning of her words. His cheeks turned red when the pieces finally fell into place. “So, it, I mean, the baby, won’t have a dad?” His question was laced with disappointment. He knew what it was like to grow up pretty much without one. His throat burned with emotion knowing that his sibling would suffer the same fate. 

“No.” When she stopped the car at the top of their long driveway, Joyce turned towards him and reached for his hand. “I’m sorry, honey. This is a mess, I know. It’s gonna be okay, though. I promise. And you can talk to me, like always. That’s not gonna change.” 

Staring into her tearful eyes, Will didn’t have the heart to make her more upset by voicing his feelings. He was never good at hiding things from her, but with a fake smile, he tried to anyway. “It’s okay, mom. I know it’ll work out.” She pulled him into a hug then, and Will was relieved that he could let his smile fall against her shoulder. 

***  
“Joyce, listen to me, it’s Jonathan. Alright? He’s not gonna do anything stupid.” 

Through the phone, Hopper’s voice offered little comfort. Joyce had the long phone cord wrapped around her hands as she spoke in hushed tones. “It’s after Midnight Hop, and he’s not home. He’s never done this before. He usually calls.” 

“He’s probably just blowing off steam. He’s a teenager.” 

Frustrated that her concerns weren’t being taken seriously, Joyce shook her head. “And what if he’s not? Hopper, Karen said Nancy came home two hours ago. Jonathan was headed home and now he’s not here. So where the hell’s my son?” Will was asleep, so she tried to keep her tone low, but it was a difficult task. 

Hopper’s disgruntled sigh was loud in her ear. Despite all they had been through, it was clear that he wasn’t concerned. Still, he offered, “Do you want me to go out looking?” 

Joyce almost said yes, but instead she took some deep breaths and tried to calm her nerves. This wasn’t like before. This wasn’t a crisis. This was just typical teenage parenting. She ran those thoughts over and over in her mind, hoping that it would help stall the panic attack that was slowly building up. 

“Joyce, you there?” 

The front door suddenly opened and closed. Overcome with relief, she peered into the living room to see Jonathan. “He’s here. He’s home.” She didn’t say goodbye before hanging up. Nervously running her hands down her sides, she locked eyes with her son for several long seconds before she rushed towards him and wrapped her arms around him. “Dammit, Jonathan. You scared me.” 

With stiff limbs, he let her embrace him, but made no move to return the hug. “I’m sorry, mom.” His apology was sincere, but guarded. 

“Don’t do that to me.” Joyce pulled her body away, but kept her hands on his shoulders. “Where’ve you been? Nancy came home hours ago.” 

Jonathan lowered his head in shame. “I just needed some time.” 

Joyce’s tone took on a shrill quality as it rose. “Jesus Jonathan, you need to call me. You can’t just disappear.” 

He finally lifted his head, letting her see the storm brewing inside his eyes. “I’m sorry, I am, but you...you can’t just drop a bombshell on us like that and expect everything to be fine. It’s not fine, mom.” 

Seeing the turmoil on her son’s face broke her heart. “I know, I know it’s not fine. But I need you to talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinking.” 

“I don’t wanna talk about it right now.” He shrugged off her hands and stepped away. Time and space had not given him any sort of clarity. Their family, the three of them, they had barely survived at times. How was a baby going to make things easier? 

Jonathan tried to move past her, but her small frame blocked his path down the hall. Desperately she begged, “Please, honey. Talk to me.”  
“What are we supposed to talk about?” All night he had been holding in his emotions. His frustration and anger had slowly built up until an explosion was inevitable. His hands went into the air as his voice rose. “I know it’s been hard since Bob. I know things haven’t been easy, but you go and decide to have a baby? What the hell, mom?” 

His words stung, more than she had imagined they would. Still, she was determined to make things right. Her shaky hands reached for his arms. “It was an accident, and I know it’s a lot to take in. Believe me, I know, but we need to talk about it.” 

With an angry sigh, Jonathan shook his head. “I just don’t understand what’s going on with you. This is crazy.” 

Joyce bit her lip. “I know…” 

“Do you?” He pulled away from her again and this time he backed well out of her reach. “Because back at dinner, you and Hopper, you were just acting like this is all so freaking normal. I didn’t even know you were dating again.” 

Her own frustration was growing at the fact that he wouldn’t listen to her. “I wasn’t. I’m not!” With a glare, Jonathan stormed towards his room, but she was quick on his heels, following him. He paused when he made it to his room and she used it as an opportunity to explain herself. “It was a one time thing.” Discussing the specifics with her teenage son was the last thing she wanted to do, but she owed him some honesty. “He’s not in the picture, he doesn’t even live around here. It was a mistake...one that I would take back if I could, but I can’t and I’m sorry.” 

The implication of her words made his chest burn with fury. All those awkward talks, all those safe sex talks that made him want to crawl into a hole and die, and now she was the one who messed up. The hypocrisy made his blood boil. There were so many things that he wanted to say. He opened his door and shook off her hand again as it tried to reach for him. Instead of screaming at her, like he wanted to, he refused to meet her eyes and lowered his tone. “Well, the baby can have my room once I leave for school next year,” he seethed. “I’ll be gone. I won’t be needing it anymore.” Before she could object, he slammed the door shut. 

Stunned, Joyce stared at the barrier separating her and her son with her mouth open. She held her hand there, touching each grain of wood as tears slipped out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're all in this together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that this took so long! 
> 
> Joyce isn't in this chapter, and I'm sorry for that, but, this fic will be Joyce heavy, so Hopper and the kids deserved some much needed time.

Late, from over sleeping, Hopper was on his way into the station when he got a trespassing call over his radio. He needed coffee, desperately, but settled for a cigarette instead as he headed towards the abandoned Lab.

With the cigarette still dangling from his lips, Hopper groaned as he pulled up to the gate and noticed Jonathan leaning against his parked car. “What the hell?” Forcefully, he put his truck into park and then cut the engine. Jonathan, clearly brooding, regarded him with indifference as Hopper moved towards him. “Is this really what kids your age do now?” Behind the rusting fence, the Lab loomed large. The landscape was overgrown and filled with litter. The grounds were no longer intimidating, but it still gave him the creeps. Bluntly, Hopper added, “Blow off school to hang at this shit hole?” 

Jonathan’s incredulous response followed. “It’s summer.”

Not one to admit to being wrong, Hopper merely shrugged. “Work then.” He glanced up and down at Jonathan’s business casual attire. Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

Instead of answering his question, Jonathan posed one of his own. “Did my mom call you?”

“No.” Hopper exhaled a puff of smoke before flicking the cigarette to the ground and crunching it under his brown boot. “Should she have?”

Jonathan shot him a sidelong glance before looking away. “Then what are you doing here?”

Slightly amused by the teenager’s bravado, Hopper let out a deep chuckle. “I’m working. He pointed to the large ‘Keep Out’ signs that were hanging on almost every tree. “And you’re trespassing. So, I’ll be the one asking all the questions.”

Jonathan crossed his arms. “You gonna arrest me?”

Hopper’s earlier amusement didn’t linger. His sympathy and understanding were wearing out as well. “You know how much paperwork that would be?”

“Isn’t that your job?”

The sarcastic remark sent him over the edge. “You know what kid? Maybe I will. Your attitude could use it.” Hopper was bluffing, but whether Jonathan knew that or not, he wasn’t sure.

“Arrest me, then,” the teenager bit out.

Hopper pursed his lips. Arresting anyone wasn’t on his agenda for the day. His eyes were heavy with exhaustion. After talking Joyce off the ledge the night before, he had been unable to get to sleep. “Kid, get going to wherever you need to be.” He motioned towards the Lab. “Nobody’s supposed to be out here. That’s the deal, remember?”

Shaking his head, Jonathan stood up straight and stepped away from his car so that he was closer to Hopper. “I just needed a quiet place to think.”

“Well, go think somewhere else.” Silence fell over them and when Jonathan made no indication that he was going to leave, Hopper grew annoyed. “What’s going on with you?” The question, laced with attitude, slipped out before he had thought it through. It wasn’t his place to get involved in the obvious issues that Joyce and Jonathan were having. He didn’t even want it to be his place. He had enough on his plate. But, he couldn’t sit back and watch Joyce’s family crumble. She deserved better than that.

“I know you’re mad at your mom, but stop disappearing on her.” His face crinkled into stern lines as his annoyance showed through. “You know what she went through with Will. You know how bad she got. Give her a break.”

As expected, Jonathan did not take kindly to being disciplined. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Really?” Hopper squinted up at the cloudless sky and then pulled his sunglasses out of his pocket. “I spent an hour trying to calm her down last night when you didn’t come home. So, I think I do know.”

Jonathan crossed his arms and stepped into Hopper’s personal space. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.” He stood his ground, refusing to back down under Hopper’s intimidating stare. His voice grew louder, sending birds scampering out from the grass and into the sky. “You’ve got nothing to do with the baby, right? That’s what you said, isn’t it? So no, you don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t understand!” Yelling at Hopper felt foreign. He respected him, even liked him, but he had to take his fury out on someone.

Beneath his sunglasses, Hopper’s eyes were unreadable. His open mouth twitched slightly. Unsure what to do next, he turned towards his truck, but then changed his mind. His hand went to Jonathan’s shoulder and stayed there. “I understand. Believe me.” He didn’t give him a chance to interrupt. “This isn’t some picnic for me either, you know?” A more experienced father may not have been so open about their feelings. The openness, worked out in his favor.

Jonathan’s features softened at that. What Hopper said, and didn’t say, reverberated through mind and left an impression. Not for the first time, a silent understanding passed between them and the tension dissipated.

Words weren’t Hopper’s strong suit, but he didn’t have to try too hard with Jonathan. The teenager never expected him to be anything other than what he was and it was a relief. “Give your mom a break, that’s all I’m sayin’. She needs you.” He let go of Jonathan’s arm and turned towards his truck. Without turning back he said, “And stay the hell away from here.” Hopper waited until Jonathan walked to his car before opening the door to his own.

“Hey Hopper,” Jonathan called out. “She needs you too, you know.”

Hopper stared at him with an unreadable expression for several long seconds before acknowledging his statement with a swift nod and climbing into his truck.

***  
Several days went by without any panicked calls from Joyce or trespassing calls about Jonathan and Hopper was relieved. Things weren’t exactly back to normal in the Byers household, but it was a start. 

“Jane, why isn’t the table set?” bellowed Hopper.

From across the room, with the phone dangling from her ear, she waved him off. “Almost done.”

Hopper sighed in annoyance and tapped at his watch. “It’s your job.” Refusing to let her run wild all summer, he had a list of chores waiting for her each day. It allowed him some semblance of control. Instead of responding, her conversation on the phone dropped to a hushed whisper. He pulled out a container of potato salad and plopped it loudly on the table, followed by a container of pasta salad. Joyce was missing their weekly dinner due to her work schedule, but she had insisted on sending the side dishes anyway. His growling stomach wasn’t about to complain. “Jane!”

“Okay!” she snapped back, then rushed to get off the phone. “I’ll call you later, Mike.” She sent Hopper a glare when she came to collect the dishes for the table. “It’s an emergency.”

Doubtful, Hopper shook his head. “What’d we talk about? You know what a real emergency is.”

Jane set out three plates. It wasn’t hard to do with such a small table. Normally they would eat outside, but it had rained all day, leaving big globs of mud all over the wet grass. “Yes,” she insisted. “And it is, an emergency.”

“How so?” His eyes tracked hers as she placed forks next to the plates. Jane was always honest with him, and he was always honest with her. Friends don’t lie. That was their motto, and they had been sticking to it since the last series of supernatural events.

Jane didn’t hesitate. “Nancy and Jonathan are in a fight.”

Hopper immediately crossed his arms. With a groan, he scratched his beard. “How is that an emergency?” His hungry stomach growled with impatience. “Where the hell’s Will?” he grumbled. Will never missed dinner. Even when Joyce couldn’t come.

“Nancy’s crying. In her room.”

“Okay…”

“He’s not going to college. It’s an emergency.”

The space between his brows furrowed in confused. Teenage drama made his head spin. He used his fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose, until her words sank in. “Whoa, whoa, wait. Who’s not going to college?”

Jane sat down. Her features were serious. “Jonathan.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jonathan’s application for early admission to NYU was completed months ago, along with his financial aid and scholarship forms. Hopper knew that for a fact, because he had helped Joyce proof read all the paperwork. Twice. “What do you mean he’s not going to college?” Hopper couldn’t keep the outrage out of his tone. Jonathan had dreams. Dreams that didn’t include Hawkins, Indiana, and there was no good reason for him not to pursue them.

“He needs to take care of Joyce and the baby.”

Hopper felt heat rise into his chest. Is that what Jonathan had taken from their conversation? Is that how he had twisted their talk in his mind? “Jesus.”

“Told you. Emergency.”

A car pulled up and their gazes both moved to the window, where Jonathan’s car was visible. “Speak of the devil.” Will was in the passenger seat, talking to his brother. “Go out and tell Jonathan to come in.” Insisted Hopper. Jane stood up before he could finish. She was the door as he called out, “Don’t tell him about this, just tell him to get in here.”

Hopper let out a puff of air as he watched her go. He had spoken too soon. Things weren’t getting back to normal, at all. 

Hopper wasn’t left alone for very long. “He’ll be in in a minute.” Will told him as soon as he stepped into the trailer with Jane right behind him. The boy waved in greeting and then sat down to eagerly dug into his mother’s potato salad. He scooped a large glob onto his plate and then quickly shoved a forkful into his mouth.

“Jesus, kid. Did you eat today?”

Not embarrassed in the least, Will shrugged. “That was like…three hours ago.”

Hopper just nodded in response. Unless it was junk food, Jane wasn’t a big eater. Her male friends, were a whole different story. He was still getting used to the amount of food that they consumed. Hopper motioned towards Jane. “Grab a plate for Jonathan.” Jane shared a loaded look with Will before doing what she was told. It was a look that her father didn’t miss.

“What?”

Between bites of food, Will answered, “He’s in a bad mood.”

Hopper rolled his eyes and grabbed a burger just as Jane set a place for Jonathan.  
“Nancy.”

Without thinking, Will added, “They’re fighting, again.” He didn’t feel right talking about his brother and he instantly felt guilty when he remembered who he was with.

Jane didn’t have such guilt. “They always fight about the baby.”

Hopper really didn’t care about their drama, but the mention of the baby sparked his interest. He dropped his hamburger onto his plate and fixed his gaze upon her. “What about the baby?”

“He doesn’t like her.”

Hopper’s brows furrowed. “Doesn’t like who?” Glancing across the table, he noticed that Will’s head was down and his eyes were focused on his place.

Jane’s response was soft. “The baby.”

“How can he hate something that’s not even born yet?” came Hopper incredulous question. 

Jane used her fork to poke at her food and shrugged. “He doesn’t like her and Nancy’s mad.”

Hopper groaned. “Jane, the baby might be a boy. We’ve talked about this.”

“No.”

Hopper groaned. “Yes. It’s a fact.”

Jane shot him an adamant glare. “It’s a girl.” She had no doubt about it. She didn’t care if no one believed her.

Suddenly, Will looked up from his plate and snapped, “Stop talking about the baby.” His outburst was so out of character that both Jane and Hopper turned to him in shock. Instantly, Will’s brown eyes filled with emotion and his cheeks reddened. His soft, “Sorry” was barely audible.

Before Hopper could even think of a response, Jonathan walked in and for once, he was glad for the interruption. “Have a seat, kid.” He insisted.

Jonathan glanced around in confusion. “I thought you needed help?”

“I lied.” Hopper pointed to the remaining empty seat. “Your mom made all this food and she’s gonna be pissed if we don’t eat it.”

Swiping a piece of damp hair out of his eyes, Jonathan shook his head. “Thanks, but I’m not hungry.” 

Hopper’s patience was wearing thing. “I’m not askin’ you,” he snapped. “We’re all gonna sit here and talk.”

“No way.”

Hopper didn’t back down. “Sit.”

The two men engaged in a battle of silent stubbornness until Jonathan eventually gave in and sat down with an exasperated sigh. He didn’t have to listen to Hopper. They were both well aware of that fact, but he did it anyway.

They all ate in silence for a long time. Jane was used to it and Will didn’t mind, but Jonathan was eager to get the meal over with. “So, what are we gonna talk about?” 

Hopper looked up in surprise. “What?” 

“I thought you wanted to talk?” 

Realizing that three pairs of eyes were on him, Hopper felt suddenly wary. He was more than comfortable around them, but he wasn’t sure how to go about saying what needed to be said. In the end, it was Jane who opened up the line of conversation for him. 

“The baby?” She could talk about the baby all day. It was her newest obsession. 

Will sighed and Jonathan groaned. Their reactions propelled Hopper forward. “See, that’s what we need to talk about.” He pointed his finger back and forth between them. “You’re mad at your mom. I get it.” 

“We already talked about this,” snapped Jonathan. 

Hopper’s quick response was stern. “Well, we’re gonna talk about it again.” 

Jonathan’s face twisted in outrage. “Why?” 

“Because now apparently you’ve decided not to go to college. That’s why!” Hopper hadn’t intended to bring up the subject in front of Jane and Will. He didn’t want to completely embarrass him, but he was fed up. “You really think that staying here, giving up your life, giving up your dreams, is the right thing to do?” 

Cheeks red with embarrassment, Jonathan shot an accusatory look towards Will. “You told him?” 

“No, I didn’t…”

“Then how’d he find out? Who else did you tell?” 

“I didn’t!” 

“I did.” Jane cut in. “I told him.” 

Jonathan’s glare moved to her, but he didn’t feel the same betrayal that he had felt towards Will. “This is bullshit.” He stood up in a rush but stopped moving when Hopper slammed his fist against the table. 

“Sit down.” 

Again, Jonathan didn’t have to listen, but something compelled him to anyway. Without argument, he plopped back down and shoved his head into his hands. 

“This sucks,” Hopper said. His words surprised the boys, but it was the truth and he wasn’t going to tiptoe around it. “You’re teenagers. You don’t want a baby around. I understand. This whole thing ain’t a picnic for me, either you know. Or your mom. But that’s life. It doesn’t go as planned and the baby’s coming whether we like it or not.” 

“I like it,” said Jane. 

Hopper’s face softened into a small smile. “I know, and that’s okay. You can like it, or not. All I’m sayin’ is, your mom needs our support. She needs all of us.” Remembering his conversation with Jonathan at the lab, he met his eyes. “We’re gonna be there for her. No matter what.” The kids all stayed silent and he could only hope that his words sunk in. They were all in this together. Hopper understood that now, in a way that he hadn’t before. “And you’re going to college.” 

Jonathan let out a harsh laugh. “Yeah, and how am I supposed to do that?” 

“It’s real easy, kid,” came Hopper sarcastic tone. “Need me to explain it?”

“You just said that we have to support my mom. That she needs us. How’s she gonna work and take care of a baby?” He was outraged by Hopper’s hypocrisy and annoyed that the man didn’t seem to comprehend just how much he contributed to the family. “We barely get by as it is.” 

“That’s not something you should worry about.” 

“Are you even listening to me?” Jonathan’s voice rose to a yell. “I can stay here, and get a job. That way we’ll at least have some money coming in. At least someone will be around to help her, Hopper.” 

Intent on keeping the peace, Will turned to his brother. “I can get a job, on weekends.” 

Jane chimed in before Jonathan could say anything. “I can watch the baby.”

Instead of arguing with Jane and Will, Hopper went along with them. “And I’m gonna be here. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll do as much as she’ll let me do.” 

Jonathan was annoyed that no one was on his side. “That’s not what you said before.” 

“What?” 

“Before. You said you had nothing to do with the baby.” 

This was the second time that Jonathan had brought it up to him and Hopper was confused. He hadn’t realized that his statement would turn out to be such a big deal to him. “I meant, that the baby isn’t mine, not that I wanted nothing to do with it.” 

“That’s not how it sounded.” 

Hopper ran a hand through his hair and groaned in frustration. He was no good at talking about his feelings. It seemed like he was constantly messing things up. “I care about your mom. A lot. I’m not gonna just abandon her, alright? We’re friends.” 

Jane took offense to his statement. She quickly corrected him. “You love her.” 

There was a time that Hopper would object, or argue, or deny it, but that time was long gone. He didn’t even try. “I do, and I’ll take care of her. We all will.” 

Refusing to meet anyone’s eyes, Jonathan sat back in his chair and played with the remnants of his hamburger. It wasn’t easy for him to trust people, especially men. Caring for his mother and brother was what he knew how to do. He had never had a choice, before. 

The atmosphere grew awkward, so Hopper broke the ice. “The kid’s got super powers. Don’t forget. She’ll force you to go to New York. The hard way.” 

Jonathan glanced at Jane and laughed when he noticed that she was smiling. “I’ll think about it.” He eventually muttered. 

It was a small victory, but it was still a victory, and that made Hopper happy. “Good. Let’s not tell your mom. Okay?” It was dangerous to keep things from Joyce. They all knew that, but agreed to do it anyway as they shared conspiratory looks. “No sense getting her worked up for nothing.” 

Jonathan let out a sigh, but eventually agreed. “Yeah, okay.” Awkwardly, he pointed towards the phone. “Um...can I use your phone? I should probably, um...call Nancy.” 

Hopper smirked. “Good thinking.” Jonathan went to use the phone and it gave Hopper a chance to study Will. “It’s gonna work out, with the baby.” 

Hesitantly, Will met his eyes. “Are you sure?” 

Hopper nodded. “Yeah. Hey, we’ve been through worse. Right? How hard can a baby be?” He was pleased when his words got a smile out of Will. “Alright, who's ready for dessert?” Jane was out of her chair and in the kitchen before Will could respond.


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry again. This chapter took longer than I thought. This was the one I was most nervous to write. I was just worried that it would end up OOC. I don't think it did. Given the circumstances, but hopefully you guys feel the same way. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and commenting and coming on this angst journey with me.

The long summer days passed by quickly for Hopper. His duties to the town, Jane, Joyce, and even Jonathan and Will, left him little with time for much else. With the summer drawing to a close, he had a lot to worry about. Jane was starting school in just two weeks, something that she had not for one day, let him forget. Main Street was all but a ghost town, a problem that he had yet to solve, and Joyce...well she was just Joyce. Her stubborn determination had not ceased to exist with her pregnancy. She worked hard to support her family. Even now, with the loss of her job eminent, she was up until all hours of the night searching the want ads for new jobs and filling out applications. Pregnancy was not going to slow her down which was impressive, and maddening, for the man who had appointed himself as her protector.

In the dusty back room of Melvald’s, Hopper leaned against the door frame and watched Joyce’s determination in action as she worked. She chattered on and on about the boys, but he was unable to focus on her words. He was too distracted by the swaying ladder that she was standing on. Each creak and groan of the rusty hunk of metal left him cringing.

“Hopper, did you say something to them?” Balancing her hand on the top shelf, she turned her head to stare at him.

The movement made him even more nervous. “What?” 

Joyce’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Jonathan and Will. Did you say anything to them?”

“About what?”

Joyce rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Were you even listening?” She turned her head back to focus on the boxes that she was arranging on the top shelf. She could barely reach them. Her beat up sneakers poked out beneath her pants as she balanced on the top of her toes.

Uneasy, Hopper could do nothing but stare. When a box full of old paperwork came crashing down, nearly bringing her down with it, he practically jumped towards her. “Jesus.” Both of his hands moved to the ladder to hold it steady. “You’re gonna fall.”

Her nonchalant response came as no surprise. “I’m almost done.”

Hopper swiftly ignored her. “Where the hell’s Donald? You’re pregnant. He should be doin’ this shit.” His voice carried out of the room and into the store, but he wasn’t concerned. The store was closing in two weeks. Aside from them, it was empty.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re working too hard.” He was driving her crazy, and knew it, but didn’t care. Stubborn, to his core, he kept his body behind hers in case she lost her balance again.

Indignantly, she snapped, “I don’t have a choice, Hopper. I need the hours.”

He didn’t have an argument for that, but he couldn’t help his growing concern. “Donald could at least do this part himself.”

The argument would get nowhere. They both knew it, so Joyce stopped engaging. It took her a few minutes to finish up her task and then, with a huff, she carefully climbed down the ladder. Only when she was safely on the ground, did he move away from her.

“Happy now?” She brushed dust and dirt off of her blue uniform top. The shirt barely buttoned over her growing stomach. She didn’t stay still for long. There were boxes on the ground that needed to be packed up, so she went to work doing that as he mulled around her.

He often visited her during the day. It wasn’t something that he had intentionally set out to do. It was a habit. Part of his daily routine. She never minded. At least, not until today, when he had broken her unspoken rule about discussing the pregnancy. The baby was allowed to be discussed on her terms, and her terms only. That much was clear to him. 

Now, she was casually avoiding him as she floated around the store moving from task to task. Hopper wasn’t about to apologize for giving it to her straight. She was working herself too hard. It was a fact that couldn’t be ignored. 

Technically he was on duty, but you’d never know it as he leaned back against the checkout counter and let his body relax. “What were you saying, about the boys?” 

There was silence for a bit as she continued working. She kicked up dust wherever she went. It glittered in the afternoon light that was shining through the glass door. “Did you say anything to them?” Her eyes didn’t reach his. Donald would be back in an hour. She didn’t have time to humor him. 

Hopper’s response was dry. “Bout’ what?”

Joyce lifted her head and revealed an incredulous gleam in her eyes. She didn’t buy his faux indifference. “The baby.”

Ever so slightly, her right hand shifted to her stomach. It was a brief, almost unconscious movement, but Hopper noticed. He always did. “No. Why, what’s going on?” The lie slipped easily from his lips. To his surprise, he didn’t feel all that guilty about it. The boys and him, they had a bond now. A shared pact, of sorts. It wasn’t something official, that they discussed often, but it was there. Growing beneath the surface.

“I dunno, they’ve just been acting strange lately.” She studied his blue eyes for any sign of dishonesty.

Suddenly wary, Hopper’s back straightened up. “Strange how?”

Pink blotches crept across her cheeks at his sudden interest. “Just, strange.” Her hands went into the air to explain, “Jonathan’s been really helpful lately, almost…too helpful. And he almost cancelled his trip to Chicago with the paper because of my longer hours.”

It was tough to act like all of this was new information to him. He played it off with a raise of his brow. “He left for the city today, didn’t he?”

Joyce’s cheeks scrunched up, carrying her nose and eyes with them. “I managed to convince him to go. I hate that he thinks he has to stay here for me. He’s been excited for that trip all summer.” Letting out a sigh, her ramble continued on, “And I don’t know what’s going on with Will. He’s been begging me to let him get a job, which is just so out of the blue. And now all the sudden he wants to learn how to cook. He’s been cleaning his room without me having to yell about it, too.”

In an effort not to sound too impressed, a chuckle erupted deep from Hopper’s throat. “That’s not a bad thing.”

“I know, I know.” Her hands were still in the air, as if she couldn’t keep them still. Joyce shot him a stern look. “Trust me. I’m not complaining. It’s just...all so...sudden. I get worried when they start acting weird…” her words drifted off as memories of Will’s possession crept into her mind.

Hopper put her mind at ease. “It’s not like before.” His eyes drilled into hers to get his point across. “They’re good kids, Joyce. You raised em’ right. They’re just helping out.”

Joyce frowned. Beneath her long bangs, her brown eyes watered. “They didn’t say anything to you about it? Last time they acted like this they wanted a dog…and you saw how that turned out. Poor Chester.”

“That dog was a menace.” At Joyce’s eye roll, he smirked and moved towards her. “Don’t think too much on it, alright? We’d know if there was something else goin’ on.”

Running her hands over her shirt again, Joyce nodded. She had the distinct feeling that he was holding something back. There was something there, in his eyes, scratching the surface, but her nerves kept her from digging it out of him. “I guess you’re right.”

“Course I’m right.”

Hopper hit her with a cocky smirk that she immediately laughed at. “I’ve gotta finish this. I’m running out of time.” She shooed him away as she leaned over and attempted to pick up a large box. Even if she weren’t pregnant, the box would be too big for her to pick up. It practically dwarfed her petite frame.

In one quick movement, he scooped up the box and sat it unceremoniously on the counter with a loud thump. “Don’t even say it.” He insisted when he noticed that her mouth was open, ready to protest. “I’m no doctor, but there’s no way you should be lifting that.”

She hadn’t relied on a man’s help for daily tasks in a long time and she wasn’t going to start now. Indignation boiled up and threatened to spill out of her throat. She wanted to scream, yell, argue, but as she looked at his determined features, the protectiveness she saw within his soft eyes rendered her speechless. The longer they stared at each other, the more her anger simmered. Eventually, it evaporated away all together.

He eventually mumbled, “I’m uh…I’m just lookin’ out for you two.” Slightly embarrassed, his gaze drifted down towards her stomach and then found hers again.

Joyce’s heart thumped against her chest as he continued to stare at her. He was protective over everyone. It was his nature, but she didn’t realize that the same protection extended to her unborn child. Or maybe, she did know. Maybe…she just wouldn’t let herself believe it.

As had happened so many times before, they were standing on the edge of a cliff again. One step forward, over the edge, the future swirled across the horizon. One step backward, away from the edge, was the safety of the past. How easy would it be to jump, together, over the cliff and into the unknown? How hard? Moments like this, made her question everything. It was fear that always held her back, and it was fear that held her back now. Shaking her head, she broke up the serious moment with a joke. “I’ll get proper clearance at my appointment tomorrow.”

A ghost of a smile spread across his face. “I want it in writing.”

Joyce mirrored his smile. “Deal.”

***  
The next day, Hopper couldn’t concentrate on his paperwork. It had been happening a lot lately, the loss of focus. With his feet propped up on his desk, he leaned back in his chair and tossed an apple up into the air. He caught it and then repeated the process. He was supposed to be eating it, adding to the list of the things he was supposed to be doing, but wasn’t.

“Hop, phone. Line two,” Flo called from down the hall.

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled. He had no intention of answering it. Instead, he kept playing catch with his snack. The phone eventually stopped ringing and he forgot all about it, until his secretary appeared in his doorway with her hands on her hips.

With a disapproving frown, she stared him down. “It’s Joyce. Second time she’s called.”

Catching the apple one last time, he then rolled it across his desk as he sat up. “Why didn’t you say that?”

Clearly exasperated, she pointed to the phone. “I didn’t think I had to.” She walked away as she said, “Line two.”

Hopper picked up the phone as soon as it rang through, but Joyce’s greeting was not what he expected.

“Can you drive me to the hospital?”

In surprise, he shifted forward and his elbow sent the apple skidding across the desk. It landed on the floor with a loud thump. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m still at the doctors, they found some complications…and they want me to go to the hospital, but they don’t want me driving.”

Her tone was eerily calm. It freaked him out more than her words did. “What kinda complications?” Hopper stood up and cradled the phone to his ear while he gathered his things. “Are you okay?”

Again, her flat, tone took him by surprise. “My blood pressure’s too high, but it’s…it’s the baby they’re worried about. They saw something on the scans.”

Hopper put his hand over the receiver to muffle the puff of air that he let out. His mind spun. If he didn’t move soon, his thoughts would spin out of control. “Listen, I’m leaving now.”

“I’m sorry. I can call Karen, if you’re busy.”

“Jesus, Joyce, don’t say sorry. I’ll be there.” He shook his head and hung up the phone. She had begged for his help when Will went missing, but that was different. That was for someone else. Her inability to ask for help for herself drove him crazy, but he didn’t have time to dwell on that now.

“I’ll be gone the rest of the day, Flo,” he snapped as he walked towards her desk.

She handed him the keys and looked him over. “Everything okay?”

Flo normally stayed out of his business, especially with Joyce. Surprised that she asked, Hopper paused in front of her desk. “Yeah,” he lied. “But let Powell handle anything that comes up.”

“Okay, chief.” Curiously, she watched him leave, and then shrugged. Some things were just better off not knowing. 

 

***   
Things moved fast once they got to the hospital. The doctor called ahead, so they were able to skip the emergency room entirely. Joyce was admitted straight to the maternity ward and Hopper hadn’t left her side since.

He averted his eyes as two nurses helped Joyce into a hospital gown and then got her situated in bed. Suddenly feeling like an intruder, he awkwardly motioned towards the door. “I’ll just wait out there.” Her quiet plea stopped him from moving forward.

“Can you stay?”

Eyes wide with surprise, he turned to find her staring at him. She wasn’t frail, but she looked it, in the large bed. Her sheepish gaze dropped from his as the nurse took her blood pressure. Still stunned by her request, it took him longer than it should have to respond. “Yeah, yeah I’ll stay.”

Asking for help, especially this kind of help, embarrassed her. Her face flushed as he moved back to her side. Silently, she thanked him with a smile, which soon turned into a frown when the nurse read her blood pressure aloud. It was high, too high. Just as her doctor had said.

Hopper’s hand fluttered to her shoulder. “It’s alright, Joyce.” The statement covered a whole range of things, most importantly, it let her know that it was okay to ask for help. It was okay, to rely on someone, especially him.

“Alright dad,” said the nurse. “You keep her calm for a few minutes while I get Dr. Andrews. He’s the best we’ve got. He’ll take care of them.”

At the term ‘dad,’ he looked at the nurse and then at Joyce, who was avoiding his gaze. Surely she would correct the nurse. Surely she wouldn’t want people to get the wrong idea. But, as the seconds ticked by, and Joyce stayed silent, Hopper realized that no correction was coming. He didn’t mind. 

“It’s gonna be alright,” he said again, mostly to break up the unease that filled the room in the nurse’s absence.

“I’m scared,” she admitted. “I didn’t have any issues with the last two.” 

Hopper was scared, too. Awful things happened in hospitals. Sara and Will were proof of that. He didn’t admit it though. “This doctor, Dr. Andrews, I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.” His hand left her shoulder so that he could point towards the door. “And if he doesn’t, we’ll find another hospital. We’ll go to the city, if we have to.” 

His forceful need to always fix things made her feel slightly better. She felt less alone, with him by her side, a fact that she was slowly accepting. Hoping that he was right, she nodded and then stayed silent until the doctor came in. Dr. Andrews did an exam and ran several tests. Worried that she was developing Pre-Eclampsia, he gave her diet restrictions and increased her appointments. Joyce didn’t care about any of that. It was the baby she was worried for and her anxiety didn’t ease up until he did an ultrasound. Seeing her baby, strong and alive on the screen put her mind at ease.

In the doctor’s office, the baby had refused to move, despite several attempts. Now, the baby moved around as if it were showing off. Hopper was still standing beside her, and when she stole a glance at him, she found him transfixed by the grainy image.

“Your amniotic fluid is low, which explains the lack of movement.”

Joyce pulled her eyes away from Hopper to frown at the doctor. “What…what does that mean?”

“We’ll admit you overnight to run some more tests. It could be the result of your high blood pressure, but we won’t know for sure until we run the tests.”

It was Hopper, who spoke next. “How do you fix it?” He could feel Joyce’s eyes on him, but he kept his focus on Dr. Andrews. “There’s gotta be something you can do, right?”

Dr. Andrews glanced between them both. “For now, the best we can do is keep a close eye on it. Increase your fluids, eat less salt for your blood pressure and get lots of rest. We’ll start off with two weeks of full bed rest and then reevaluate from there.” He finished up the ultrasound as the words sank in. 

Joyce’s brows furrowed and she sat up. “Bed rest? But I have two boys to raise. I’ve gotta work.” 

The doctor, who was around her age, barely glanced at her as he made notes in the chart. “I’m sorry, but in order to carry the baby to term, this is what has to be done. We can re-evaluate in two weeks.”   
Annoyed that he wasn’t sympathetic to her concerns, she grew angry. “That’s two pay checks. What am I supposed to do?” 

To spare the doctor from getting the brunt of her anger, Hopper bravely stepped into the conversation. He could take whatever she dished out. “Hey, it’ll be alright, Joyce.” 

Predictably, her face scrunched up in incredulousness. “What? How?”

“What choice is there?” he argued. Then, turning to the doctor, he nodded and told him that they understood. 

His words sent Joyce over the edge. She bit her bottom lip until Dr. Andrews was gone and then roughly got out of bed. “Don’t do that!” she snapped. The ugly hospital gown swam around her tiny frame. “Don’t speak for me. This is my life, Hop! This is my baby.” Over the past few weeks, she had finally started to feel more in control of things. Now, that control was slipping away, and with it, her calmness. 

It was hard for Hopper to keep his temper under control as he narrowed his eyes. His jaw tightened and clinched as he tried. His hand went to his mouth, as if to physically keep himself from lashing out. After a few minutes, when he was sure that his words would come out even, he said, “Look, all I’m sayin’ is, the doctor knows what he’s talking about. Two weeks of bed rest ain’t that bad if it keeps the baby safe, right?” 

The thumb of her knuckle was already in her mouth. The sharp sting of her teeth kept her grounded as her mind flew off into a million different directions. “I can’t afford it,” she finally told him. All traces of anger had been replaced by a defeated truth. Suddenly, it was all just too much. The unplanned pregnancy, losing her job, the boys, the complications. It all piled up and hit her at once as tears slipped down her cheeks.

Her shaky hand wiped them away, but they kept coming, until her lips tasted of salt. “So I have to choose between this baby and my boys?” She covered her mouth, as she began to openly cry. “That’s what he’s asking me to do. Let them starve to save the baby.” Her thoughts weren’t rational, not really, but her mind was too overrun with dark thoughts to let anything else in. 

Hopper’s eyes fluttered shut. Seeing her so upset had never been easy for him. When they opened, he pulled her towards him without hesitation. She relaxed into his strong arms and let herself freely cry against him. “I’ll help you. It’ll be alright.” Her body tensed then, but she couldn’t get any words out to argue, so he used it to his advantage. “You’ve saved my ass a thousand times with Jane.” Against his chest, she shook her head in protest, so he put his chin against the top of her head to keep her still. “Joyce, listen, you feed her, you buy her things, you take care of us all the time. It’s time for me to return the favor.” 

Their relationship wasn’t based on favors. Or score keeping. Neither one of them did things to get something in return, but Hopper knew Joyce. He knew how to get her to agree. And eventually, after he pleaded his case, and after she cried until her eyes could no longer produce tears, she gave up and agreed to let him help. To her surprise, she felt relieved, instead of shameful. And to his surprise, she stood in his embrace for the longest time.


	6. Chapter 6

While Joyce and Hopper were at the hospital, Will and Jane were at home, completely oblivious to what was going on. In Will’s living room, the pair were absorbed in their own activities, until Jane’s demanding tone broke through the silence.

“You said you’d pick.”

Ignoring her, Will kept his eyes on the TV. He was across the room in the recliner, watching his favorite show. “Later.” He had a bowl of popcorn in his lap and made a mess as he shoved handfuls into his mouth.

From her spot on the couch, Jane narrowed her eyes. “Now.” She held up a piece of construction paper with a list of names on it.

“El, I said no.”

“Yes.”

Again, he ignored her, even as she got up and loomed over him. “Vote.” She held the paper in front of his face. “My sister needs a name.”

Their parents spending more time together meant that they too, spent more time together. With their similar interests and shared tragedy, Will and Jane got along well, but they occasionally fought, like any friends did. Lately, as Will dealt with his own twisted feelings towards the future of his family, he had no patience for Jane’s antics. “I’ll do it later.”

Silently, she focused on the TV, and soon, the machine mysteriously clicked off. Will’s outraged yell was immediate. “Hey! Turn it back on.”

“No.”

Scrambling for the remote, he spilled popcorn everywhere as he tried all the buttons. “El! Stop!”

“Pick a name!” With a tilt of her head, she sent the clunky remote flying out of his hands. It landed on the floor and bounced off the throw rug.

Will’s temper flared. He had been keeping so much inside. Anger, embarrassment, fear, pain. All his emotions combined at once as he glared at her. “I don’t want to!” Before she realized what he was doing, he ripped the sheet of paper out of her hands and let it flutter to the ground.

Not one to back down from an argument, Jane used her powers to float it into the air until it was almost covering his face. She wasn’t malicious, but she was persistent. “She’s your sister too. You get to name her.”

“Stop it, El.” The paper stayed where it was, even as Will began to yell. “I mean it.”

“No. My sister needs a name. You’re the last vote.”

Jane’s words were the last straw for Will. Suddenly, all his pent up feelings exploded. “She’s not your sister!” Even muffled, his scream reverberated through the empty house and took her by surprise. Her concentration on the paper slipped, and he used it as his chance to grab it. “Hopper’s not her dad!” He ripped the paper down the middle just as Jane let out an angry scream.

The pieces landed on the floor. She knelt down to pick them up and then glared at him. “He’s my dad, now. He’ll be hers too.”

Will was tired of hearing that. He was tired of a lot of things, most of which he couldn’t express. He had to look out for his mom now, and the baby. He couldn’t let her worry over him. “Hopper doesn’t wanna be her dad! Nobody does. She’ll never have a dad and she’ll never be your sister!”

“Stop it!” Jane screamed. All the lights in the room flickered. “He will be.” Her cheeks went red.

Unafraid of her powers, Will continued to argue. “No he won’t!” He wasn’t one to scream or yell or even raise his voice, often. He was shaking with the effort, but it felt good. It felt freeing.

“Yes he will!” The more she yelled, the more the lights flickered. As they continued to argue, objects began to hover in the air. First the couch pillows, then the remote, then odds and ends. Soon they were screaming at each other surrounding by a room of floating objects.

***  
Joyce and the baby weighed heavy on Hopper’s mind as he drove up the dark tree lined road that led to her house. It was hard to focus on much else. His mind replayed the grainy image of the baby over and over as if he would otherwise forget. Seeing the baby, hearing the strong heartbeat, watching it move around the screen...it brought forth emotions that he had only felt one other time in his life. Unlike the past though, this baby wasn’t his and he kept trying to remind himself of that. He couldn’t get attached. He knew that, but unfortunately, he already was…and it was hard to deny that fact. 

His mind suddenly stilled as he parked out front. The windows of the house were illuminated with blinking lights that stood out in the dim front yard. They blinked rapidly, then stopped, then blinked again. He was out of his truck with his gun drawn within seconds. The sound of shouting echoed through the closed front door and onto the porch. His stomach immediately clinched with fear as he sped forward and into the house.

He stood staring with his gun in the air for way too long once he walked in. “What the hell’s goin’ on?” he eventually bellowed.

Jane was facing him, and as she glanced up, the floating objects fell back to their original places. Their argument stopped suddenly at his presence and the air burned with tension.

Hopper holstered his gun, and then ran a hand through his hair as he glanced around the messy living room. Joyce had pretty much kicked him out of her hospital room so that Will wouldn’t be alone all night. Hesitantly, he had gone, but this was not what he had expected to come back to. “Again. What’s goin’ on?”

“She’s my sister!” Jane insisted. Hopper’s presence kept her anger slightly at bay, but her voice was still loud. Still adamant. “He,” she pointed to Will, “said she’s not.”

Not really caring that Hopper was there, Will’s tone rose to match hers. “It’s true. She’s my sister. Not yours”

Hopper let out a groan and tilted his head towards the ceiling. “Are we still talking about this?” He had been trying to be patient with Jane. She was excited and it wasn’t a bad thing, but he worried that her imagination was getting the best of her. He worried that her fantasy, wouldn’t match the reality. “The baby could be a boy.” Deflecting seemed like the best option, so his eyes fell to Will. “You could get a brother.”

“No,” snapped Jane. “It’s a sister.”

He had long given up arguing with her on the topic. Instead, Hopper shook his head and walked around the room to inspect the damage. Luckily, nothing looked broken. “Will, uh...I was just with your mom. We’ve gotta talk about some things.” When Hopper turned to face Will, he noticed that the young teenager was glaring at Jane and Jane...was glaring right back.

“Jesus. What happened with you two?”

Jane opened her mouth to answer, but Will beat her to it. He had never felt so out of control. Life was supposed to be getting back to normal. Things were supposed to be getting better. “The baby doesn’t have a dad!” He threw up his hands in exasperation. “She doesn’t and nothing El says will change that.”

“She will.”

“No she won’t!” Will pointed to Hopper but kept his gaze on her. “He’ll never be her dad.” Feeling like he was about to cry, he stormed out of the room and to his bedroom. Jane kept shouting, even once his bedroom door slammed shut.

Bewildered, Hopper crossed his arms. “That’s enough,” he snapped. She whipped around to face him, but he refused to let her continue. “El!” Her nickname was a mix of harsh affection as it left his lips. “Enough! Leave him alone.”

Her angry eyes flashed at him. She moved to follow Will, to disobey her father, but he put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. His voice softened. “Just let it go for now, okay?”

Feeling betrayed, she shrugged out of his grasp and crossed the room. Her eyes darted to the front door. As if reading her mind, he dead-panned, “Don’t even think about leaving.” With baited breath, he watched and hoped she would listen. He was relieved when she shot him another glare, but stayed put. Several minutes ticked by in total silence. “So that’s it huh, you’re not gonna talk to me?” Stubbornly, Jane crossed her arms. “Fine. I could use some peace and quiet anyway.”

Eager to sit down, Hopper moved to the couch and picked up all the books and papers that were in the way. “What’s all this?” It was clear that she was still holding a grudge, but he stubbornly carried on with his questions anyway. “Library books?” He thumbed through one of the paperbacks and then picked up a hard cover. Both books were full of nothing but baby names. With furrowed brows, he looked at her in confusion. “What’s up with all the baby name books?”

Across the room, she pretended to ignore him, but it was obvious that she was dying to speak. Glancing at the paper that was now torn up on the floor, she grabbed the pieces and then went to find some tape. Joyce’s house, was like a second home, and she didn’t have to look hard to find what she needed to put the paper back together.

When she came back into the living room, Hopper had his head resting against the back of the couch. His eyes were closed, but he opened them when she approached with the paper. “Will wouldn’t pick.”

Hopper took the paper from her and scanned the list of names. “Pick what?”

“A name.” Hopper squinted and Jane added, “For the baby.”

“Sorry kid, but I think that’s up to Joyce to decide.”

Jane shook her head. “She likes them all. She said we could vote.” She peered over the paper and pointed to the tally marks. Everyone was on there. The party, Jonathan, Nancy, even Steve.

Hopper followed her gaze and then frowned. “She did?” Feeling oddly left out, he slouched down further into the couch and then handed the paper back.

Jane refused to take it, though. “No, you have to vote.” Carefully, she watched his reaction. “Please?”

Hopper tried to play off his discomfort with a laugh. “El, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Everyone votes.”

His fingers clutched the paper so tightly that it started to crinkle. “It’s just for you kids.”

“Joyce voted.”

“Really?” he asked, though he already knew the answer. It was written clearly across the top of the paper.

“Dad, please.”

Her rare use of the term ‘dad’ did him in. Picking a name wouldn’t help him detach, not at all, but he couldn’t disappoint her. Life had given her enough of that. “Got a pen?”

With a triumphant grin, Jane used her powers to sail one into her waiting hand. Thrusting it at him, she then sat down and curled up at his side while he concentrated. The list was short, only about ten names or so. A series of crossed out lines showed evidence that it had been a lot longer at one time.

Without looking away from the paper, he reminded, “You know Joyce gets final say, right?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re not gonna be upset if she doesn’t end up using one from this list?”

Jane rolled her eyes. Impatiently, she tapped his arm to keep him on task. “No.”

“Alright, then.” The names were popular, ones he had heard before. There were no boy names on the list, but that came as no surprise. None of the names particularly stood out to him. None of them matched the image of the baby he had seen earlier…the baby…that his mind was already conjuring up clear images of. A little girl. With Joyce’s eyes. “Damn,” he mumbled, when he realized that he too, imagined the baby as a girl.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He pretended to concentrate so that he didn’t have to meet Jane’s inquisitive gaze.

“Friends don’t lie.” 

Hopper groaned. “Uh, well, I think it’s a girl, too.” His cheeks colored in embarrassment. “Don’t tell anybody.” Sheepishly, he snuck a glance at her. Her huge smile made his chest burn with affection. When she nodded, he went back to the list and eventually circled a name. It wasn’t the most thought out choice. It wasn’t even his favorite, but it would do, for now.

Eagerly, Jane snatched the paper out of his hands. “Joyce picked that one, too.” In disbelief, he took another look at the paper and she pointed it out. “You both like it.”

He scratched his chin. “Guess so.” He liked the name a whole lot better, now.

***  
Hopper had no intention of discussing Will’s earlier outburst. He was tired and hungry and hell bent on letting the teen cool off on his own. But, as time drug on, and Will remained hauled up in his room, Hopper eventually had no choice. Which, is how he found himself standing in the center of Will’s bedroom, being completely ignored.

“Hey, kid, you don’t wanna talk about what happened out there, that’s fine…but we’ve gotta talk about your mom.” That got his attention. Will looked up from his drawing to stare at Hopper. Taking the acknowledgement as a good sign, he continued, “She’s uh, well, she’s in the hospital. She’s okay, but they’re keeping an eye on the baby, so she’ll be there until tomorrow.”

The hard lines across Will’s face softened. “What’s wrong with the baby?”

“Nothing yet,” assured Hopper. “But the doctor’s worried about some things, so your mom’s gotta take it easy for the next couple weeks.”

Fear dulled his eyes. “They’ll be okay, though?”

“Seems that way, yeah.”

Will’s shoulders slumped. Soon, his drawing pad and crayons were set aside as he stood up. “Can I go see her?”

Hopper shook his head. “No, it’s too late. She’ll be home tomorrow.”

Brows furrowed, Will crossed his arms. “I don’t want to leave her all alone.”

Loudly, Hopper’s stomach growled. It was well past dinner time and he hadn’t eaten lunch. The lack of food was giving him a headache. Impatiently, he motioned for Will. “Let’s go get some food. Your mom’s alright. I was there with her, she made me leave.” Expecting him to follow, Hopper turned around. He was in the doorway when Will’s statement stopped him in his tracks.

“She’s not alright.”

A chill ran down his spine at the way Will spoke. His tone was sharp, yet monotone. Instantly Hopper was reminded of the year before and he whipped around to face him and then tried to still his racing heart when he realized that the boy looked completely normal. The only monster inside of him was the adolescent hormones wreaking havoc on his mind and body. “What?”

“Her and the baby, they’re alone.” Defeated, as if he had expended all of his energy, Will sat down on the edge of his bed. “They’ll always be alone.”

It took Hopper a few seconds to wrap his mind around the words. He didn’t fully understand until images of Will’s fight with Jane re-entered his mind. With a sigh, Hopper rubbed his trimmed beard. “So, it’s the dad thing, huh?” He was a terrible communicator, but he was getting better, little by little. He joined Will on his bed and fumbled his way through addressing the situation. “That’s what you’ve been so upset about, isn’t it?”

Neither of them looked at each other as Will shrugged. He wasn’t comfortable either. Nothing about the past few months had been comfortable. “I guess so.”

“Not everyone is raised by their dad, and it’s okay.”

Will didn’t need to be told that. He knew better than anyone. “It’s not okay. Not really.” His whole life he had longed to fit in. To be normal. To be accepted. He had been willing to do anything to bond with his dad, even attend sporting events that he had no interest in, but in the end, it hadn’t worked. He wasn’t what his dad wanted, and his sibling wouldn’t be either.

Will was so lost in his gloomy thoughts that he didn’t realize they had been sitting in silence for a long time. Eventually, Hopper’s hand went to his shoulder and broke the spell.

“Your sister…” Hopper started, and then quickly corrected himself, “or brother, it’ll have you, and Jonathan, and your mom…and all of us. So what if there’s no dad? The baby won’t need one. ”

In surprise, Will met Hopper eyes. Eagerly he listened, desperate for relief from his tormenting thoughts. “Really?”

Hopper’s lips curved into a smile. “This baby is gonna be the most loved kid in Hawkins. Dad or no dad. Look at the amount of people trying to name it?”

Will thought about that for a while. He really thought about it, and it did make sense. Maybe having an entire group of people was even better than a dad. He felt a bit better. His spirits lifted, but then his thoughts shifted to his mother. Noticing the shift, Hopper shot him a questioning look and Will sheepishly glanced away. “But my mom, she’ll still be doing it all alone. Jonathan is leaving next year and I’ll be going too…someday. We all will.”

Hopper couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his throat. He had never seen two teenagers so worried about their mother’s wellbeing. It amused him, and also filled him with pride. Will and Jonathan weren’t his. He hadn’t raised them. He hadn’t even known their names two years ago, but now they were as much a part of his life as Jane and Joyce were.

“She’s got me, kid.” He squeezed Will’s shoulder before letting it fall. “How many times do I have to tell you guys that?”

“Did you tell her that?”

The conversation was getting too serious and too in depth for his liking. Fearing that he would screw it up at any moment, Hopper stood up. “I’ve been tryin’ to.”

Will smirked, and joked, “Can you try harder?”

Hopper playfully rolled his eyes. “You and El are killing me. You really are.” He turned away and noticed that his daughter was standing in the doorway. Judging by the content smile on her face, it was clear that she had heard a lot of their conversation. “Apologize to each other so we can get some food. I’m gonna die of starvation soon.” Dramatically, he stormed out of the room and continued ranting down the hall. “I’ll be out here. Dying. It’ll be all your fault too…”

Jane and Will stared at each other. The both of them were equally amused and embarrassed by Hopper. Will, a natural born people pleaser, apologized first. He stood up and then reached for his shoes. Jane, who was socially stunted, but possessed a big heart, crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him. Like Hopper, words weren’t her strong suit, but she had a knack for being affectionate. “Mike loves Nancy,” she quietly stated.

Will wasn’t uncomfortable with the hug. But he was an awkward teenager and had no idea what to do with his long arms. He eventually wrapped them around her in a friendly hold and said, “Because that’s his sister.”

“I love you, like Mike loves her.”

Her declaration didn’t make him mad. A content feeling washed over him as he realized that he felt the same way. Even with their parents confusing relationship, they were already a family. Not a normal family, by any stretch of the imagination, but a family nonetheless, and Will was okay with that. “I love you too, El.”

“I’m still out here. Starving,” Hopper yelled. “You’re gonna have to explain it to your mom, why she’s got no ride home tomorrow, because you starved me to death…”

Jane burst into giggles and broke away from the hug. Will, covering his face in embarrassment, laughed as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wasn't supposed to be all Hopper/Will/El...but it just happened that way. I've been wanting to tackle some Will/El sibling vibes for a bit, so they kinda wrote themselves. 
> 
> We're getting there! Not too many chapters to go. Progress is being made, even if it's angsty progress. 
> 
> p.s. I really hope that Will/El give off the sibling vibes in this. That comfort level you have a with a sibling and not a romantic vibe. I don't see anything romantic between them, ever, but I hope I was able to express that in the final scene. I was a bit worried it would come across as a shippy type thing.


	7. Chapter 7

As they pulled up to the house, Joyce shot sidelong glances at the man beside her. “You okay, Hop?”

He had been quiet for too long. His brows were furrowed, masking his eyes, as he slid the car into park. Shooting the house a wary glance, he then turned his attention to her. “Yeah, why?”

Joyce gathered her things, shrugging her shoulders in the process. “You seem nervous.”

Hopper’s response followed with a grin. “Me? Never.” It was a lie, though, and he fought down the urge to scan the house again as they got out of the truck. He was nervous, but not for any of the reasons her anxious mind was probably coming up with. The night before, he had walked in to find Jane and Will in the midst of a massive fight. Powers and all. It seemed like the pair had made up, but he still wasn’t sure what sight would greet them. Joyce needed to relax, and he hoped that she would be able to do so at home.

She made it to the front porch before him, but his longer legs quickly caught up. Hopper waited until she was preoccupied with opening the front door before he snatched her hospital bag right out of her hands. Her response, in the form of a silent glare, didn’t faze him in the least. “Doctors orders,” he reminded, only to be met with her back as she turned away and stepped inside.

Holding his breath, he followed close on her heels. His exhale of relief was audible when he found the house in pristine shape. The living room was void of any screaming teenagers and there were no objects floating around.

“Hey, where are you guys?” called Joyce. She left Hopper in the entryway to follow the sounds coming from the kitchen.

Will greeted her first. “You’re back early!” He stepped out of the dining room and intercepted her before she could reach the kitchen.

Joyce didn’t care that he was now a teenager and at least a head taller than her. She wrapped her arms around him and he didn’t hesitate before doing the same. “I was first on the discharge list. Can you believe it?”

Will pulled away with a frown. “It’s just, lunch isn’t ready yet.

“Lunch?” She turned so that she could lock eyes with Hopper. “What’s going on?”

Hopper scratched his chin. “Beats me.” Will and Jane weren’t missing, dead, or fighting, so he considered it a victory.

Jane appeared suddenly, partially blocking Joyce’s view of the dining room. “Don’t come in here yet. It’s not ready.”

“El, it’s boiling,” Mike called from the kitchen. The girl went to walk away, but Hopper stopped her.

“You didn’t tell me you were having people over.”

“It’s just Mike.” 

Will pointed to the kitchen. “Well, and Max.”

Hopper’s face scrunched up in disgust. “What is this, Grand Central Station?”

Jane crossed her arms. “They’re helping. Mrs. Wheeler gave Mike the recipe and Max has made it before.”

Joyce, whose eyes were darting between the kids in bewilderment, tried to understand. “Made what?”

“It’s a surprise.” Will and Jane blurted out in almost perfect unison.

Mike called again from the kitchen and Jane glanced at Hopper for approval to leave. Once she got it, she darted away.

Hopper cleared his throat. “Joyce, you better go sit down.” He pointed to his watch when she made a face. The next two weeks were bound to be full of bickering and stubborn fits, but he didn’t care. Jane and Will were already on his side and he was sure that Jonathan would be too, once he got home.

Right on cue, Will nodded. “We’ll call you when it’s ready.”

Unable to deny her son anything, Joyce put her hand over her face and shyly nodded in acceptance. “Okay, okay, I’m going. It better not be cabbage though, you know I hate cabbage.”

Will smiled. “It’s not, it’s not! It’s almost done.” He shooed her away and then went back into the dining room to finish whatever it was that he was doing.

Hopper’s warm hand squeezed her shoulder. The heat from his skin was noticeably, even under her t-shirt. “Go ahead, I’ll go check things out...make sure the house isn’t gonna catch fire.”

His eyes met hers and the silent reassurance mixed with his burning hand put her at ease. “Okay.” His hand didn’t drop from her shoulder until she moved far enough out of his path. 

With a sigh, Hopper threw his head back and stared up at the ceiling. He had never been more in love with her, that much was clear to him, but it wasn’t the time for that, so he tried to rid his mind of those thoughts as he walked into the kitchen. The kitchen, that had been spotless earlier, now looked like a bomb had exploded. Ingredients covered the table, dirty dishes filled the sink, and the floor was covered in flour.

Noticing his suddenly pale face, Max said, “Don’t worry, we’ll clean it up.”

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” added Mike. Desperately in need of a hair-cut, his floppy hair partially covered his eyes.

Hopper watched as Jane stood at the stove stirring a huge pot. He then moved towards the dining room to find Will setting the table. The boy stopped when he noticed that Hopper was staring at the colorful bouquet of flowers that sat in a vase in the center of the table.

“Mrs. Buchanan let us pick them from her garden.” Will was excited, but his excitement fizzled when he noticed that Hopper’s features were unreadable. “They’re um...Daisy’s,” he stuttered. “Mom’s favorite.”

Hopper knew that, although, he didn’t remember that he knew it until just this moment. Suddenly, long forgotten memories of a much younger Joyce popped into his head. She was wild, care-free, and full of energy. Her hair was long and it gleamed in the summer sun as she danced barefoot around his back yard. A flower crown, made of Daisy’s picked from the very same garden adorned her head, giving her an ethereal look.

“Is it…not okay?”

Will’s question jolted Hopper back to reality. “What? No, no. It’s great.”

“We made chili and cornbread. I think she’ll like it.”

Feeling guilty that he had made Will insecure, he moved towards him and patted him on the shoulder. “You did good, kid.” Not used to getting fatherly like compliments, Will’s cheeks reddened and he looked down in embarrassment. “She’ll love this.”

Will’s head came up to ask, “Really?”

Hopper chuckled. “You kiddin’ me? You’ll make her cry.”

Once lunch was ready, and Joyce was finally allowed into the dining room, it took all of ten seconds for her to cry at the thoughtful surprise. Hopper and Will shared a knowing smirk across the table that only they could understand.   
***   
After lunch, everyone gathered in the living room, where Jane and Will proudly displayed a stack of rented video tapes and urged Joyce to pick her favorite. Overwhelmed by the attention, she deflected the question by asking one of her own. “How’d you guys get all those?” She had been gone for less than 24 hours and they’d cleaned the house, gone to the grocery store, cooked a meal, and rented video tapes.

Jane pointed across the room at Hopper, throwing him under the bus with little hesitation. “He took us this morning.”

Joyce’s eyes widened in surprise. When she looked at Hopper, she found that he was avoiding her gaze.

Will suddenly thrust a tape into her hands. “We picked what we thought you’d like, except Indiana Jones. Hopper made us get that.”

“We need something other than chick flicks,” defended Hopper. 

Joyce let out a soft giggle and then looked down at the tape. Her fingers slid over the big letters that read Footloose. “I did want to see this…”

“I knew it!” Jane exclaimed. “Look, I picked these, too.” Soon, Splash and Sixteen Candles were thrust into her hands.

“Wow, there’s so many.”

“You’re gonna have a lot of free time on yours hands. I just figured…you know, you could catch up on movies,” Hopper explained. He still had his head tilted down, embarrassed, but when a huge smile crept across her face, he grew more confident and finally lifted it up to face her. “We also stopped at the grocery store, so the kitchen is stocked for a while.”

He was ready for an argument, but it never came. Without being told to, she sat down on the couch and softly thanked him. “Let’s watch Footloose, first,” suggested Joyce. She handed the tape off to Jane who quickly popped it in the VCR.

Hopper sat down beside her, close, but not too close, while the four teenagers sprawled out on the floor. “Oh, but, shouldn’t we go get all your stuff, first?” Will’s question was directed at Hopper, and then Jane, who sat up.

“We need more clothes,” Jane reminded.

With a bewildered expression, Joyce glanced between them and Hopper. “Your stuff?”

He bristled under her gaze. “Uh…well, we’ll worry about that later.”

Jane eyes narrowed. “You said we would move in today.”

“Hop, what’s going on?” An unsettling feeling washed over Joyce as she realized how completely out of the loop she was, and in her own house, to boot.

Hopper tried to get out of trouble by flashing her his best goofy smile, but she wasn’t falling for it. “I can’t believe you…” she mumbled, with a shake of her head.

Eager to speak to her privately, he suggested, “Guys, why don’t you go make some popcorn for the movie?”

“I’m not hungry.” Will was oblivious to the fight that was about to take place.

Mike wasn’t. “Guys, he wants us gone.” He stood up and grabbed Jane’s hand to help her up.

“Is he in trouble?” Max wondered, as if Hopper wasn’t even in the room.

Will stood up with his friends and looked at his mother. She was trying her best to keep herself calm, but there was no hiding the anger in her tense features. Him and his brother had been the source of that anger many times, and he cringed. “Yeah, he is.”

Hopper lost his patience with all of them. “Get going!” He waited until they were gone before turning his body to face Joyce. He opened his mouth to explain, but she beat him to it.

“Moving in?”

“No,” he scoffed. “It’s not like that…I just told the kid we’d be staying here a while…till you get back on your feet. That’s all.”

Well aware that her house wasn’t large and that the teenagers in the next room were nosey, she kept her voice low, but it didn’t lose its anger or outrage. “And you don’t think I should get a say in that?”

“Joyce…”

“You just decided this without me?”

The familiar argument left him breathless. It felt like they were doomed to repeat the same push and pull forever. Still, the familiarity meant that he knew how to handle it. Years, even months prior, his stubborn nature would have argued all night long, but now, he maintained his composure. “With school starting soon and Jonathan away, I just thought it’d be easier if we stayed here. And you know Jane isn’t gonna leave your side…”

“Don’t!” Joyce’s forehead crinkled in anger. “Don’t use her to get yourself out of trouble.” Her eyes moved to the curtain covered windows. She was close to getting up, when she remembered that she shouldn’t. The knowledge that she was stuck in place made her even more frustrated.

“Joyce, I’m sorry.” He was used to saying it now. Between Jane and Joyce he spent a lot of time apologizing for his controlling nature. “I just wanna be here, in case you need me. Just for now. I don’t wanna be across town worrying for the next two weeks.”

As angry as she was, her temper once again simmered at his honest words. No man had ever worried about her the way he did, or care. It was a confusing feeling to get used to. Her heavy lids closed as she pulled the corner of her lip between her teeth. When she spoke, she let her eyes flutter open. “This isn’t gonna work if you keep making decisions without me.”

His eyes widened slightly at her statement. He didn’t know what she meant by ‘this’, but he didn’t have time to ask before she continued, “this is my house. You don’t get to just walk in here like…like Lonnie used to and take over.” Her ex-husband’s name dripped with disdain as she pointed a finger at him.

Hopper’s eyes darkened at the comparison and he sulked like a child for several minutes in silence before he nodded his head in agreement. “I got it.”

Joyce called his bluff. “Do you?” Hopper rolled his eyes but said nothing, which she took as a good sign. “You can stay.” She eventually agreed, knowing full well that she had never intended otherwise. 

“You won’t even notice I’m here.” Dramatically, he put a hand to his heart. “Promise.” Joyce doubted that, but her son’s sudden presence in front of them kept her from saying it out loud.

“Are you still mad?”

She shared a furtive glance with Hopper before answering. “No.” 

Will’s face lit up and he capitalized on the opportunity. “Can Mike and Max sleep over?” It was obvious that the teens had already concocted a plan, by the way Will went into detail. “Their parents already said yes and the girls can stay in Jonathan’s room.”

Simultaneously, Joyce and Hopper gave opposite answers. Joyce’s was a soft yes, while Hopper’s was a firm no. Surprised, the pair looked at each other in confusion. Will watched as they silently battled it out. Joyce’s incredulous brown eyes reminded him of the deal they had just made and Hopper’s stubborn blue eyes fought for control before he eventually let it go.

“It’s your house,” he grumbled.

“Damn right it is.”

Will was confused. “So, they can stay?” 

She handed the question off to Hopper with an arch of her brow and he let out a disgruntled sigh. “Yeah.” 

With a triumphant smile, Joyce nodded at Will and he happily left to tell the others.


	8. Chapter 8

The charred smell of bacon hit Jonathan hard as he arrived home a few days later. A sweet smell, that he couldn’t immediately place, soon joined in. His bags hit the floor with a careless thump before he continued on into the kitchen.

Jonathan expected to find Hopper there. His truck, covered in early morning dew, was a dead giveaway. What he didn’t expect, was to find the man standing half-dressed at the stove.

Eyebrows raised into his hairline, he tried to keep his tone casual. “Um, hey…Hopper.”

The spatula that Hopper was using flew out of his hands. He haphazardly grabbed for it and caught it just before it landed on the floor. “Jesus.”

Jonathan tried not to laugh. “Thought you heard me come in.”

“I can’t hear anything over that damn thing.” He pointed up towards the old, well used exhaust fan in the ceiling.

“It doesn’t work very well.”

“I noticed.” Hopper swatted at the smoke coming from the stove. “It’s pretty early. Did you and Nancy get sick of each other or somethin’?” It was barely 7:00.

“No.” Jonathan crossed his arms. “But I wanted to get home, for my mom.” He studied Hopper as he cooked. He was shirtless, with his work pants unbuttoned and hanging loosely off of his hips.

“She’s doin’ okay. The bedrest should help, but, she’ll be glad to see you.” Hopper turned towards him for the first time and followed the teenager’s gaze down to his disheveled form. A blush formed across his cheeks as he realized how things must look. With an awkward nod, he said, “Uh, I’ve gotta go into the station today and I think Jane and Will are driving her nuts.” As he spoke, he moved out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Cautiously, Jonathan followed him. Hopper’s uniform shirt was draped over a chair and his belt, hat, and other accessories were lined up on the coffee table. His observant gaze wandered to the pillows, blankets, and possessions that most certainly didn’t belong to his mother.

Hopper caught him staring. “Don’t go getting’ any ideas, kid,” he mumbled as he pulled his shirt on. “I’ve been staying over, to help out.” At Jonathan’s arched brow, he clarified, “On the couch.”

“I thought she was doing okay?” It was hard coming home to find everything different, but his tone lacked any accusation.

“Health wise, yeah, but she needs a lot of help. She can’t spend much time on her feet.”

Before Jonathan could think on those ramifications, his mother’s sleepy form padded into the living room. Her face lit up when she saw him. After smothering him in a hug, she pulled him into the kitchen and Hopper was relieved to have avoided another awkward conversation.

***

The following days were an adjustment for everyone. Joyce wasn’t the best patient. Will and Jane weren’t the best at keeping out of trouble, and Jonathan and Hopper weren’t the best at relinquishing control. For Hopper, even work was an adjustment, as Jane had decided to call him several times a day with mundane updates about Joyce.

Some days were worse than others, and Hopper concluded that this would be one of the worse ones, when he walked in at 9:00 a.m. to a waiting message from Flo.

“Hop, Jane called.”

He skidded to a halt in front of her desk and tore his hat off of his head so that he could scrunch the sides up between his fingers. “She did?” His surprised act didn’t fool his long time secretary.

Flo stood up and read from her notepad. “She wants you to know that Joyce didn’t eat breakfast.” She was part exasperated, part amused, and her lips curled up into a smirk as she continued, “And also, she told me to tell you that Joyce was up for too long after you left.” Speechless, Hopper could do nothing but shrug. “Do you really need to know all this?”

“No!” came his frustrated grumble. “I’ve told her to stop and she won’t.” He let out a sigh. His daughter’s heart was in the right place, he had to keep reminding himself of that.

Flo gave him a once over. “Does Joyce know about this?”

“Jesus, no.”

“Maybe you should tell her.”

Hopper shot her an incredulous look.

“Yo Chief,” Powell teased from across the room. “You and Joyce planning the wedding yet?” 

Hopper rolled his eyes. “Funny.”

Powell grinned. “It’s the next step. You’re already living together.”

“It’s temporary,” he bit back. No one believed him, not even Flo, who shot him a look that he ignored.

“Are you gonna handle this?” she ripped off the paper and handed it to him. Without answering, he took it from her and ignored Powell’s jeers as he went to his office.

***

Hopper never did get around to handling it. A crowd was protesting at the mall again, so he was forced to spend most of his day keeping the peace. When he finally trudged back into the station, he was exhausted and had a pounding headache. With little fanfare, he held out his hand to take Jane’s messages.

“No messages,” explained Flo, without looking up.

He didn’t have to feign his surprise this time. “Jane didn’t call?”

“Not once. I guess your talk helped.”

“I didn’t get a chance to talk to her.”

Flo shrugged. “Maybe she got the hint.”

Puzzled, but not showing it, he strode to his office and called the house. There was no answer, so he left a brief message before hanging up. “The silent treatment,” he snapped. “Figures.” Hopper ran his hand over his sweaty forehead and then dug into his pile of paperwork.

He only made it through one report before he called the house again. After his second report, he called again and this time, slammed the phone down in frustration. Anxiety crept into his gut and took root. He tried to focus on the next report, but it was no use. His mind was too busy conjuring up horrible scenarios.

“Flo, I’m leaving,” he mumbled, as he rushed out.

“I’m sure they’re fine, Hop. Joyce would have called…” she didn’t get a chance to finish before he was gone.

Soon, Callahan’s lanky form was in front of her desk. “Are you sure the baby isn’t his? I’ve never seen him like this…”

Flo’s eyes narrowed in disapproval. “That’s none of my business.” Glancing towards the window, she watched as Hopper peeled out of the parking lot. “But I’d say that’s a man in love.”

***

When Hopper made it back to Joyce’s house, he found it empty, which did nothing to quell his concern. His calls fell on deaf ears as he wandered through the house, his anxiety growing with each step. It wasn’t until he made it to the backyard that he heard the sound of loud music and laughter coming from the tree line. His line of sight blocked by the shed, he followed the noises until he spotted signs of life.

It was shady under the trees, making the smothering heat almost bearable. Still, the mix of his uniform and near panic made him quickly overheated. Joyce was sitting in a folding chair with her nose stuck in a book. Hopper approached her just as Will darted out from behind a tree and yelled for Mike. Mike ran off, and then Jane joined Will in the chase.

“What’s goin’ on out here?” Hopper paused in front of Joyce, his shadow looming over her form.

Startled, her book fell into her lap. “Hop?” Catching her breath, she checked her watch. “You’re back early.” His gaze drifted down to her pale, bare legs and then her feet that were soaking in a bucket full of water. “The water helps with the swelling,” she answered, before he could even ask.

Hopper nodded and took deep breaths to force his pulse to return to normal. “I’ve been trying to call…”

Joyce quickly stood up, sloshing water out of the bucket as she did so. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Hopper, don’t lie to me.” 

He bristled under her heavy glare. “Everything’s fine.” Screams erupted from behind the trees and he glanced over again to find that Max and Dustin were chasing Jane around with water guns. “Jesus. What is this, a party?”

Joyce studied him in silence for a long time before she accepted his answer with a nod. “I figured that Will and Jane could use some fun…with school starting and all.” He kept his gaze focused on the rambunctious teens until her question pulled it away. “So you came all the way here just because we didn’t answer the phone?”

“Uh…I was worried, that’s all.” Redness crept across his cheeks, but he hoped that she would chalk it up to the heat and not his embarrassment.

“Why?”

Hopper shrugged, wishing that he had a better answer to give. One that wasn’t so revealing. “I dunno. I just was.”

A smirk slowly spread up the corners of her mouth. “Is it because she hasn’t been calling you every five minutes to rat me out?” She pointed towards Jane without taking her eyes off of him.

Hopper ran his hand through his hair. “You know about that, huh?”

Joyce let out a snort. “You really thought that I didn’t?”

“Well…I…I…” he hit her with a sheepish smile and then shrugged. “I’m sorry?” he offered, not because he was, but because it seemed like the right thing to say.

“For what?”

“What?”

“What are you sorry for, Hop?”

It was a simple question, but he stared at her in confusion anyway. “Uh…can we start over?” Domesticity was harder than he remembered. Most days with Jane, he stumbled through it, hoping to eventually get it right. Now with Joyce, he wasn’t sure if he would ever get it right, or even…have the chance to try.

Joyce chuckled, oblivious to his internal struggle. She dipped her foot back into the bucket, only to pull it out in disgust. “It’s too hot, now.”

Jane spotted him from a distance and waved in excitement. He waved back and finally was able to relax. Everything was okay, for once. He glanced at Joyce, noticing for the first time that she looked relaxed, too. “Shit, it’s hot out. Why don’t we go in? I’ll run you a cold bath for your feet.”

Joyce’s surprised eyes met his. “You will?”

“It’s one of my many talents.” His joke elicited a giggle from her and then a big, wide grin that lit up her features. Maybe he wasn’t so bad at domestic life after all…and maybe he’d get the chance to try.


	9. Chapter 9

Hopper had every intention of dropping Jane off on her first day of high school. Nobody would mess with the police chief’s daughter, he was sure of that. Jane however, was humiliated by the idea and flat out refused to go with him. In the end, Hopper begrudgingly allowed Jonathan to drive her.

Relinquishing that control was harder than he thought and he took it out on the pile of dishes in the sink. They clattered and clanked as he soaped and rinsed them. Soapy water splashed everywhere and he groaned loudly when he bent over to wipe up the mess.

“What’s wrong with your back?”

Surprised by the question, Hopper turned to find Joyce standing near the fridge.

“Nothing.” As soon as he straightened back up, a sharp pain traveled up his spine. His grimace betrayed him. At her worried frown, he shook his head. “It’s just sore.” 

“It seems more than sore.” 

He rubbed the painful spot, even as he downplayed his symptoms. “I probably just slept wrong.” 

“I’m sorry. The couch is old...I know it’s not that comfortable.”

It was an understatement, but he wasn’t about to admit it for fear that she would kick him out. “Nothin’ to be sorry for. I’m used to the couch.”

Joyce slowly lowered herself into a chair. She watched as he went back to cleaning up the breakfast mess. “You can sleep in my bed.” Hopper whipped his head around so fast that Joyce was afraid it would spin off of his head. Misunderstanding the stunned look on his face, she took offense. “I know I’m huge, but there’s still plenty of room.”

Hopper stuttered as his mind raced. “Uh…you’re not…it’s not…” His wet hand ran over his chin. Her brown eyes were drilling through his, expecting something…but what? What did she want him to say to that? He eventually settled on dry humor. “Most women want dinner first, at least.”

Predictably, she rolled her eyes. “It’s just a bed, Hopper. I think we can manage to share.”

He was already dangerously close to the point of no return with his attachment to her. Sharing a bed would send him right over the edge, he knew it, and yet, when he finally opened his mouth to speak, his argument came out weak. “Joyce, the couch is fine. Really.”

Joyce had a talent for getting her way, and Hopper was an easy target. “The whole point of you staying here is to help me, isn’t it? What help are you if you mess up your back?”

His mouth hung open. “Well, it’s just…you know…”

When he couldn’t come up with a solid response, she continued, “You’ve been doing so much for me, the least I can do is offer you a comfortable place to sleep.”

Hopper avoided her eyes while his brain searched for an excuse. When he glanced at her again, her shoulders were hunched forward and her head was cocked slightly to the side.

“Sleeping next to me is that bad, huh?”

His first instinct, was to laugh, and he did, until he realized that she wasn’t kidding. His face fell as the laughter died on his lips. “You know that’s not true.” He moved towards her and leaned his hands against the table so that his face was practically right beside hers.

Their gazes dueled. Silently, they communicated the things that they weren’t able to put into words. So much of their relationship existed that way, in silence. It was a comfort, rather than a burden. The air ignited around them as long buried feelings began to resurface. Hopper’s thumb moved just a bit, until it was slightly on top of hers. They both shivered with the intensity of it all. 

The sudden shrill ringing of the phone startled them. Their gazes drifted towards the wall as their faces registered the same hint of fear.

“I’ll get it,” he insisted, before she could get up. “School started an hour ago. It can’t be them already.”

Joyce bit her lip. For once it wasn’t Will that she was worried about. It was Jane. Jane...who had a knack for accidentally making objects move with her mind. Luckily, when Hopper answered the phone, it was just the station. 

“Duty calls,” came his sarcastic comment once he hung up the phone. “Mr. Miller thinks someone stole his dog again.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Yeah, just another day in Hawkins.” The air between them threatened to catch fire, again as they stared at each other in silence. Eventually, nervous anxiety forced him to stifle the flame. “So uh, you won’t hog all the covers tonight, will you?” Awkwardly, he looked down and fumbled with the buttons of his uniform shirt.

Joyce’s nose crinkled as she smiled in triumph. “No.” 

“Jane says I snore, so just hit me if I get too loud,” he added, with a smile of his own.

“Trust me, I will.”

Hopper looked at her in surprise and then chuckled. “Okay, then. I’ll see you later.” It was hard to leave the house that morning and he wasn’t exactly sure why, but he was grateful for the chilly air once he did.

***  
The dim glow of the kitchen light greeted Hopper when he got home that night. Still not used to having anyone to come home to, he was late again. His third time that week. He expected to find Jane, angry from another broken promise, but instead, he found Joyce, right where he had left her. She was hunched over the kitchen table, concentrating on a pile of newspapers.

Mind and body too exhausted to give a proper greeting, he went right to the fridge for a beer and then plopped down beside her. “You’re up late.” For a while, the pop of the can and his long sips were the only sounds.

Eventually, she looked up from the newspapers to glance towards the clock on the wall. “I must have lost track of time.”

“Me too,” he mumbled. Now that he was staying there, he made sure to call when he was going to be late. It was a hard habit to get into. Even harder than remembering to leave work at a reasonable hour. “How mad is she?”

Joyce swept the air with her hand. “Well, the house is still standing.”

The condensation from his beer can cooled his hand as he squeezed it. “Where is she?”

She was only half paying attention to him. Her gaze kept slipping down to the newspapers. “Finally sleeping. I had to cut her off the phone. She talked to Mike for over an hour.”

“Didn’t she see him enough at school?” came his snarky retort. His mood, not the brightest to begin with, plummeting even further. He was supposed to be home to talk about Jane’s first day of school. That’s what a father did. They showed up. Instead, he was a man that broke promises and he hated himself for it. 

Joyce simply shrugged. “They’re teenagers.”

Her inflection was warm, yet impersonal at the same time, as if she were only half listening. It was obvious that her mind was somewhere else and it instantly annoyed him.

Hopper’s eyes drifted down to see what she was so interested in. “What’s all this?” his flippant question got her attention.

“Job searching.” She had a pen in her hand. She brought the cap to her lips before setting it down.

“Maybe you should give it a rest?” At her annoyed look, he added, “You’re still on bedrest.”

“I’ve got that appointment next week, I’ll probably be cleared. I might as well get a jump start…”

Sipping from his beer, he stubbornly argued, “There’s no guarantee,”

“I’ve got a good feeling.”

Feeling his frustration starting to build, he reached for his pack of cigarettes, only to be met with her narrowed eyes. If she couldn’t smoke, he couldn’t either. Message received. With a sigh, he put his hand back on the table. “You can’t rush these things.”

Joyce crossed her arms. “I know.”

“You don’t need to be worried about working right now. You need to be worried about the baby.”

Her features turned incredulous. “I don’t need you to remind me,” she snapped. 

A fight was brewing. One that could easily sweep them away. There was a moment, a moment where he could have calmed it before it grew too ominous, but he let that moment pass. Suddenly angry, he bit back, “Maybe you do.”

Right on cue, the storm crashed over them and before he knew it, they were in the midst of a familiar, heated exchange that only ended because she walked away. Hopper watched her go, downed another beer, and then retreated to the front porch. 

***  
The cement was cool against Joyce’s bare feet as she padded towards him an hour or so later. The air was a bit crisp, but not cold. After such a long heat wave, the weather felt good.

From his spot on the porch swing, his gaze was focused on the tree line. He didn’t look at her, even as her shadow loomed over him. “Are you coming to bed?”

Hopper inhaled from his cigarette and then blew the smoke away from her. He dropped it to the ground and then stomped it out with his shoe. “Didn’t know if my invitation got revoked.” There was no humor in his eyes when they met hers. Just confusion and sorrow. He couldn’t have a relationship of any kind, without constantly messing it up. It was an exhausting feeling, to be such a screw up.

Lines of worry creased her forehead. He wasn’t normally so somber after an argument. They were used to fighting. “I wouldn’t be out here if it was.” A tiny smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and then it was gone just as fast. It made her own face fall. “What’s wrong?”

Hopper shook his head. “Nothing.” He didn’t need to burden her with his internal struggles. He looked away, to hide his shame.

“Hey…talk to me.” It was a whispered plea.

The trees rustled, sending a cool breeze their way. He crossed his arms as goosebumps appeared along the hem of his short sleeved shirt. “I just wanna be there for you…and be a decent father, to Jane.” She stayed quiet, which caused him to look up. For once, her features were unreadable. “But I can’t even do that. It’s like I’m cursed.”

“That’s not true.” Her arms crossed, mirroring his.

“Isn’t it?”

“Hop…” Her voice trailed off as she thought about how exactly to word what she wanted to say. She started and stopped…and then started again. “You are here for me. The only time I even feel okay is when you’re around….even when we’re driving each other crazy…which I guess is most of the time, now. ”

Surprised by her admission, his blue eyes widened and he eventually smiled. Only she could lift even his darkest of moods.

“You’re more than a decent father. You’re a great father. You’ve just gotta start keeping your promises. She takes them personally.”

Hopper sighed. “I’m just not used to all this.” He motioned around with both of his hands. “It’s been a long time...and I’m just not good at it. I don’t remember it being this hard before.” 

Joyce nodded, silently letting him know that she understood him completely. They worried about many of the same things. They were kindred spirits that way. “A lot’s changed since then.” He gazed up at her and her stomach twisted in a way that she hadn’t felt in a long time. “You’ll get into the groove again.” She believed in him, even if he didn’t believe in himself. 

Taking a chance, she reached out for his hand and was a bit surprised when he took it with no hesitation. She led him inside, down the hall, and to her bedroom. There was nothing seductive about it, which somehow made it even more intimate. 

They took turns getting ready for bed and when they finally crawled in beside each other, Hopper found himself in a nice state of relaxation. The warmth coming off of her body and the sweet smell of her sheets and pillows made him sleepy. 

“Stop kicking me,” Joyce suddenly mumbled.

“What? I’m not.”

“Not you,” she snorted. “The baby.”

Hopper turned onto his side and propped his head up on his elbow. They were now eye to eye. “The kid’s already a fighter.”

Joyce grimaced and rubbed her stomach. “Don’t fight me, baby. Save that energy.”

“It’s true. You’ll need it when you get out here. Trust us.” Without thinking, he reached out and placed his hand against her stomach. It was the first time...and it should have been awkward, but it wasn’t at all. When a swift kick thumped back him, he pulled his hand away in shock. “Jesus.” Joyce laughed and grabbed his hand. Before he knew what she was doing, his hand was right back on her stomach, enveloped in hers.

The kicks kept coming, over and over and he was mesmerized…too mesmerized to say anything at all. Eventually he drifted off to sleep and when he woke up in the morning, her hand was on his chest and his hand…was still wrapped protectively around her stomach.


	10. Chapter 10

The smoke from Hopper’s cigarette billowed out into the crisp October night. From his spot on the front porch, he watched as a car approached up the gravel driveway and eventually came to a stop beside his truck. The headlights illuminated his stocky form.

“Are you waiting for me?” came Jonathan’s incredulous question as he slammed his door shut and headed towards the porch.

“Guilty conscience?”

“No,” scoffed Jonathan. “I’m not that late.”

Hopper examined his watch. “Two hours.”

“The party went late and then I had to drop Nancy off…and...” realizing who he was talking to, his words trailed off as he dipped his head down in embarrassment.

Hopper inhaled from his cigarette. When he exhaled, smoke curled around his head and face. With a grim nod, he dropped it and then stomped it out with his shoe. “I don’t need all the details, alright, kid? I wasn’t waiting, I just came out here to…”

“Smoke?” interrupted Jonathan, with a smirk. “I won’t rat you out.”

Hopper let out a gruff chuckle. “Yeah, well, I won’t rat you out, either. Your mom’s finally getting some sleep. She doesn’t know you’re late. Let’s keep it that way.”

Grateful for his luck, Jonathan nodded in understanding. “I should have called.” He mumbled, more to himself than to Hopper. His mind and body ached for sleep, but he ignored the feeling and sat down on the porch step instead. He wasn’t surprised when Hopper joined him. “This time of year…it’s been hard ever since Will, you know? And now with Bob…I’m afraid it’ll be even worse.” 

Hopper stared off into the dark yard. He hadn’t thought about Bob in a long time, a fact that made him suddenly feel guilty, both for Bob, and for Joyce. “Anniversaries are always hard.” He played with the hem of his long sleeved shirt and mentally kicked himself for not thinking about it sooner. “But she’ll get through it.”

“She let Will go trick-or-treating alone tonight. That’s something.”

Hopper smiled. If he had it his way, Jane and Will wouldn’t have gone on their own. It was Joyce who made it happen, which came as a surprise to everyone. Maybe things were looking up.

“I think it’s the baby,” said Jonathan, lightly. “She doesn’t have the energy to get too worked up.”

Hopper snorted and ever so slightly, peaked towards the front door to make sure that Joyce wasn’t up and listening. “Don’t tell her that,” he warned. He turned back towards Jonathan and looked him over with a frown. “What kinda costume’s that?”

Jonathan looked down at his regular clothes and shrugged. “Nancy didn’t wanna dress up this year.”

“Halloween’s over rated, anyway.” The holiday, like most holidays, had lost all meaning after Sara. Even with Jane, it was hard to get back into the spirit, after willingly not participating for so long.

“Yeah. It is.”

For a few minutes, the two sat quietly, surrounded by the sounds of the night. After so many weeks of living under the same roof, they were comfortable enough with each other to co-exist in a natural silence.

Eventually, it was Jonathan who broke it. “What are you still doing here?” His question was honest and lacked accusation. “Living here, I mean.” When he turned to look at Hopper, he saw a brief flicker of shock cross his features before it faded away.

Joyce had been off of bed rest for a few weeks and yet, here he was, still sleeping beside her every night. It was a fact that he tried not to think too much about. Hopper roughly scrubbed his face as he came up with an answer. “Well, you know, Jane was sick. Then Will got it…then your mom.”

“Nobody’s sick, now.”

Hopper bristled under the pressure and his tone grew annoyed. “What, am I cramping your love life? Do you want me to leave?”

“No.”

Not expecting such a simple answer, Hopper turned to face him. “No I’m not cramping your love life or no you don’t want me to leave?”

Jonathan crossed his arms. “Both, I guess.”

Hopper’s mind spun a bit at the ramifications of his statement. He didn’t know how to respond. Jonathan’s approval was monumental, even in his understated way. “Oh.”

“I just don’t get it.”

“Get what?”

“What you guys are doing.”

Deep lines creased Hopper’s forehead and weighed his thick brows down. “What?”

The teenager’s cheeks went pink. He could only meet his eyes for a second before looking away. “You’re not fooling anybody, pretending that you still sleep on the couch.”

The breath caught in Hopper’s throat and he let out a dry cough. “It’s not…uh…it’s not what you think. The couch was just bothering my back, that’s all.”

“Then why sneak around?”

“We aren’t sneaking. Look, we just didn’t want you kids getting the wrong idea, that’s all.”

Jonathan let out an incredulous laugh and then stood up. He stepped off the porch so that he was standing directly in his line of sight. “It’s a bit late for that, isn’t it?”

“Jonathan…” Hopper started, but he couldn’t finish.

“El’s had the wrong idea for months. She thinks the baby is her sister. She thinks you’re the dad. And now she’s got Will thinking you’re my mom’s boyfriend and we’re gonna be some lame Brady Bunch family.”

Feeling defensive, Hopper stood up and ran a hand through his hair. The statement didn’t shock him. What shocked him was how bad it sounded out loud.

“It’s all bullshit,” Jonathan continued. “We’re pretending to be something we’re not.” His tone was passionate, but not angry. “They’re the ones who’ll get hurt.”

Hopper’s jaw tightened and twitched as he stood staring. He opened his mouth to argue, but then shut it just as fast. The stubborn side of him wanted to argue, but after a few seconds, he simply sighed in defeat. “You’re right.”

Jonathan’s eyes widened in surprise. He too, had expected an argument.

“I don’t know what we’re doing.” He felt slightly relieved at his own admission.

“Can’t you figure it out?”

Hopper couldn’t hide the small smirk that parted his lips. All three kids had essentially asked him the same thing at various time over the past few months. He still had no answer to give. “It ain’t that easy. Things don’t get any easier as an adult. Trust me on that.”

Hopper and his mom were hopeless. Jonathan was sure of that now, so he accepted his response with a sigh and then turned away. “I left my headphones in the car.” He started towards it, when Hopper’s voice stopped him.

“If we ever do figure it out….and this becomes permanent someday….” He motioned around the porch with his hand. “Uh…that’d be okay with you, right?”

Jonathan turned back around with a puzzled expression. “Isn’t that what we just talked about?” 

Just as confused, if not more so, Hopper played the entire thing off like it were no big deal. “Yeah, yeah, just checking.” 

Jonathan frowned and was eager to end the odd conversation. “Okay…” 

Once Jonathan retrieved his headphones and went inside, Hopper was left to his own devices. It didn’t take long for negative thoughts to take over. What were they doing? And, how long could they do it before it all came crashing down?

***  
The new mall was bright and shiny. With Halloween over and the winter holidays approaching, it was bursting at the seams with eager, happy shoppers. Joyce, swollen, tired, and jobless due to said mall, hated everything about it. After a frustrating search for an empty seat at the food court, she plopped herself down in a chair and stubbornly refused to move.

Jane, Will, and Hopper shared careful looks as they all piled their bags around her. “Mom, we’ve only been here an hour,” said Will, as he glanced at his watch.

“And we still need more things for the baby,” Jane added. She had a handwritten list in her hands. Like her baby name quest, she had made it her mission to research everything needed for a new baby.

Joyce shook her head. “We’re good for now.” The mall was the best place to get all that they needed. She knew it, but refused to admit it.

“But we still need bottles. And bibs.”

Will peered over Jane’s shoulder to read the list. “And toys.”

Hopper attempted to mediate the conversation. “The baby won’t be needing toys for a long time and we can get bottles anywhere.”

Jane quickly argued, “She’ll need clothes, though. The book says they grow really fast.”

Joyce massaged her aching back.“They do, sweetie. Karen’s gonna send over Holly’s old stuff, if it’s a girl.”

“It is. A girl.” Jane’s predictable answer caused Will to nudge her side. “Ouch!”

“That’s enough,” snapped Hopper. “I think we can give it a rest for today.” He looked towards Joyce’s miserable form in sympathy. “Why don’t I go grab us some food and then we can get going?”

Despite her aversion to the mall, her stomach couldn’t resist the food court’s tempting aromas. “Pizza sounds good.”

“Pizza it is, then.” Relieved to have avoided an argument, Hopper motioned towards the teenagers. “Come on, I’ll need help carrying it all.”

Joyce was left behind with the bags, but she was fine with that. Her mind drifted in and out of reality as she relaxed without the pressure of more shopping. She didn’t notice the man stopped in front of her until he called her name.

“Joyce…Joyce Byers? I thought that was you.”

On alert, her mind snapped back as she stared up at the dark haired man. Something was familiar about him. Something stood out, but she couldn’t figure out why. Goosebumps erupted across her flesh as he took in her heavily pregnant form.

“It’s John Davis, we met out in Jonesboro back in the spring. Remember?”

The sounds around her grew muffled and her vision tunneled as the memories flooded back to her all at once. She stared at him in shock for so long that he eventually let out an awkward chuckle.

“I guess it was more memorable for me than it was for you.”

Joyce felt her cheeks burn. “No, no…I just…I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting to see you.” Feeling suddenly uncomfortable under his stare, she slowly stood up. “What...what are you doing here?”

John kept shifting his gaze between her stomach and her face. “I’ve been all over the state lately, for work.” She nibbled on her bottom lip and it caught his attention. “I’ll admit, I was kinda hoping to run into you. I figured it was a long shot, though.”

“You were?” Her mind was so flooded with confused thoughts that she could barely get out a full sentence. John was taller than she remembered. And more handsome. His green eyes were striking and she vaguely remembered thinking the same thing several months ago.

When he smiled, big dimples appeared across his cheeks. “I left my number at the hotel. I know I should’ve gotten the hint when you didn’t call, but my ego couldn’t let it go.” 

Mesmerized by his smooth, buttery tone, she almost missed what he said completely. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see it...” On their own accord, her eyes scanned the crowded room and landed on Hopper’s back. The memory of their explosive argument in the hotel came back to her and she sucked in a breath before meeting his eyes again.

John cocked his head in disbelief. “A likely story,” he joked. His eyes moved back to her stomach. It wasn’t easy to miss and he wasn’t naïve enough to ignore it.

Joyce’s hand went protectively to the spot. Her heart was racing and the air around her felt too hot. Her thoughts were so muddled and she was in such a state of shock that she had almost forgotten that the child she was carrying…was indeed his. “We, um…should probably talk.” 

His face suddenly fell, as her reaction told him what he needed to know. “I figured…”

Beneath her long bangs, shameful tears filled her eyes. She couldn’t look at John, so she looked away. Her stomach twisted painfully as she locked eyes with Hopper who was on his way back with Jane and Will. Before she could recover, he was at her side, with his hand hovering over her back. 

“Everything alright?” 

Joyce’s fingers fiddled with her hair. “Yeah…yeah...” As the two men sized each other up, she wished the ground would open up beneath her. 

“We were just catching up,” John explained.

Not shy at all, Jane asked, “Whose he?” She looked to her father for an answer, but it was obvious that he didn’t have one. 

Will usually took on the role of the silent observer, but Hopper’s protective body language made him uneasy and unable to stay quiet. “Mom?” 

John’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You didn’t mention having kids…” 

El and Jane snapped Joyce out of her shock. “This is John Davis.” 

John pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “We met a few months back, when I was in Jonesboro for work.” 

Hopper’s hand twitched against her back. She could feel his heavy stare, but didn’t dare meet his eyes as she took the card. “Thanks.” 

A horrible silence fell over the group after that. El and Will were confused and trying to make sense of the situation and Hopper and John were actively trying not to glare at each other. 

“So, you’ll call me about dinner, then?” John eventually said. 

Quietly, Joyce agreed and they all watched as he left. Hopper’s hand dropped from her back and went limp at his side. 

“So that was him,” he mumbled, just low enough so that only she could hear. 

Joyce finally looked at him, and her eyes begged for silence. “Can we just eat, please?” 

Hopper cleared his throat. His body was rigid with tension and territorial rage, but he took deep breaths to keep himself in check. Jane and Will were staring at him for confirmation that everything was okay, so he put on his best fake smile and motioned towards the table. “Yeah, let’s eat.” Joyce offered him a thankful smile, but it was one that he couldn’t return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being so patient. I'm gonna focus on wrapping up this fic. There aren't that many chapters left. I can't believe it!
> 
> I know it's kinda improbable that John remembers her 7 months later and also randomly ran into her at Starcourt. But....let's just suspend disbelief. It's a necessary plot point for this journey!
> 
> I started this fic as Hopper's journey. Hence the title. But now that it's almost complete, I realize that it's Joyce's journey, too.


	11. Chapter Eleven

The ride home from the mall was a silent affair. The rest of the night didn’t fare much better. The endless silence cast a dark shadow over the house that even Will and Jane noticed. It wasn’t until Hopper was in bed, beside Joyce, that he took a stand against the tormenting silence.

“Uh, are we just not gonna talk about earlier?” He was flat on his back and looked over when she turned over to face him. “About him?” He couldn’t even think John’s name without wanting to scream. Saying it out loud... wasn’t going to happen.

The mattress shifted and groaned under them as she tried to get comfortable. “He wants to get together, to talk.”

Hopper bit his lip to keep himself from making a disgusted sound. “Does he know about the baby?” His hand was so close to her that it would take no effort at all to graze against her swollen stomach. However, he forced himself to stay completely still. He was too attached, to something that wasn’t his. 

A sarcastic laugh came from the back of her throat. “It’s kinda hard to miss, Hop.”

“You know what I mean.” His nerves were wound so tight, that it physically hurt to keep his body so still.

“I think he figured it out.”

“I could be the father, for all he knows.”

His monotone statement confused her. The room was dark, but she could still make out his impassive features. They revealed nothing, which is perhaps what drove her to say, “But, you’re not.”

Hopper ground his jaw. “No. I’m not.” The truth hurt, but he refused to let her know it. What good what that do? The baby had a father, who probably wasn’t a total screw up, like him. Sooner, rather than later, he had to get used to the idea. 

Joyce swallowed hard. “John and I…we’re just meeting for dinner, to talk. That’s all.”

Not for the first time, it dawned on him how insane the entire situation was. The proximity to her just made it even worse. There he was, lying beside her, while they discussed her going out with another man. Jonathan’s words came back to him suddenly, and his stomach churned. “So, a date.”

“It’s not a date,” she argued.

Hopper didn’t believe her. “You sure that’s a good idea?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“You don’t know anything about him.”

Joyce hit him with an incredulous frown. “He’s not an axe murderer.”

“How do you know?” Hopper sat up. He couldn’t stay still.

Her voice was soft, but angry. “Don’t you think he would have killed me before?”

“No. He was too busy fucking you.” His words came out as a harsh whisper

With a groan, she sat up and shoved him lightly across the shoulder. “Jesus, Hopper.” Why was he doing this? Why was he making it so hard? “I’m having his baby. He deserves to know about it. You don’t get to be mad.”

“I’m not mad.” He couldn’t take it anymore. Shoving the covers away, he practically jumped out of bed.

Joyce rolled her eyes. “Then what?” He stalked across the room and she watched as he gathered his shirt and pants. “Are you jealous?”

At her question, his body stilled, but he couldn’t turn to face her. “So what if I am?” Silently, he berated himself for being such a fool. He knew the risks, of getting attached to her and the baby. Jonathan was right. He was living a lie…one that he willingly fooled himself into thinking could be real, someday.

His flippant question took the wind out of her sails. She didn’t have an answer for that. “Where are you going?”

“I need some air.” He still couldn’t look at her as he made his way to the door.

“It’s freezing outside.”

“I’ll be fine.” Hopper gently closed the door on his way out and stood there for several seconds. Briefly, he thought about going back, but then he shook his head and continued down the hall.

***  
Two Days Later

“Do you think they broke up?” Jane leaned over the kitchen table so that she could talk to Will without being too loud.

Glancing towards the living room, where Hopper was snoring loudly on the couch, he said, “They’re acting weird.”

“He’s hasn’t been sleeping in her room.”

“If they broke up, he’d leave. Wouldn’t he?” came Will’s question.

Jonathan moved towards them and tossed some bacon on their plates. “Who are you guys talking about?”

Looking around in paranoia, Jane quickly shushed him. “They’ll hear.”

“Who?”

Will didn’t wait for his brother to finish making breakfast. He dug right into his bacon and spoke with his mouth still full. “Mom and Hopper.”

Jane was starting to feel as comfortable with Jonathan as she did with Will, so she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. “Do you think they broke up?”

At her words, Jonathan made a face and moved back to the stove. “They’re not dating. They never were.”

“They are.”

Jonathan came back to the table with a pan full of eggs. “They’re not.” He divided them up between the plates and once again, Will dug into his first.

“You’re acting stupid,” Jane said, with a glare.

Her insult didn’t bother him. Maybe it would have if she were one of Will’s other friends, but Jane was different.

Quietly, Will stood up for her. “I think they are.”

“Yeah? And what about the guy from the mall?” Eager to prove his point, Jonathan’s voice rose. “She’s going out with him tonight.”

Jane’s fork slipped out of her hand and it clanked loudly onto her plate. “It’s not a date.”

“Sounds like a date to me.”

“It’s not!”

Jonathan chuckled and sat down. She was easy to rile up. Easier than Will, whose calm demeanor kept him rather level headed. “Says who? Hopper?”

“Yes.”

“He’s a liar. Of course it’s a date.”

Suddenly angry, she banged her fists against the table. The motion rattled their orange juice filled cups. “Friends. Don’t. Lie.”

He rolled his eyes. “He’s not your friend. He’s your dad…and parents lie all the time.”

With her face twisted in fury, she stood up. “Shut up!” With a flick of her wrist, she sent an empty chair flying across the kitchen. It slammed into the stove and then toppled over.

It was easy to forget just how intense her powers could be. Jonathan stared at her in shock for several seconds before he recovered and stood up. “I’m just messing around, El.” He stood up and retrieved the chair while she kept glaring. “Calm down.”

“It’s not a date,” she yelled.

“Fine, fine whatever.”

“Um…guys…” interrupted Will, but the pair wasn’t paying attention.

“Say it!”

“Stop yelling at me!” 

“Guys!” Will warned, but it was too late. Hopper, who had been standing in the doorway, stormed into the room and shook his head.

“What the hell’s goin’ on?”

Jonathan and Will wisely stayed quiet, but Jane wasn’t about to give up so easily. “He said Joyce has a date.”

Hopper pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. “Jesus.”

She pointed a finger across the room and Jonathan stepped back, worried that she was going to toss another chair. “Tell him he’s wrong.”

Cranky, and not just because of the uncomfortable couch, Hopper sighed. “It’s just dinner. It’s not a date.” He was hoping that the more he said it, the more he would believe it. He expected something from Jonathan, or even Jane, but it was Will who surprised him with his question.

“Did you and my mom break up?”

Hopper blanched. “What?”

“You’re sleeping on the couch.”

“We’re not...uh…” Hopper ran a hand over his chin. Jane and Will were staring at him with hopeful expressions and Jonathan wouldn’t look at him. “We’re not dating. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

Jane shot him a glare. “Yes you are.”

“No.” He was too tired to get into an argument with his headstrong daughter. He needed coffee. And a nice calming cigarette.

“You are!”

“That’s enough,” he snapped in his most authoritarian tone.

Growing angrier by the second, Jane tilted her head and used her powers to slide her chair into the table. It was more of a statement, than anything else. She stormed off without another word, leaving the three of them in various states of confusion.

Hopper scrunched up his face and then blew out a loud puff of air. In the past he would have followed her and demanded that she stop acting like such a brat, but he was learning to control his temper. Things ran a lot smoother when he gave her space to cool off.

“I told you,” Jonathan dared to say.

Hopper hit him with a seething scowl that would have terrified most other people. It didn’t work on the boys and that made him even more annoyed. Unable to hide his misery, he shook his head and fled the room. On his way out, he grumbled, “Go to school. Learn something.”

His exit caused Will to stare at his brother with wide eyes. The man’s jealous behavior had made things pretty clear to him. “It’s totally a date then, isn’t it?”

Hopper heard him, because seconds later, the front door slammed shut and Jonathan rolled his eyes. There had been enough drama for one morning. For once, he was eager to get to school.

***  
Hopper was shoving clothes into an old duffel bag when Joyce got home from dinner. Stepping into her room, she stood watching his movements in silence until made her presence known.

His body went rigid as he turned to face her. “How was your date?”

Joyce made a face. “Don’t call it that.”

“Sorry,” came his flippant response. “Sounds like a date to me.” He looked her up and down, searching for something. A clue. A sign. Anything…to tell him what had happened, but her appearance gave nothing away.

“Yeah, some date,” she scoffed. She sat down at the end of the bed and watched as he tossed some more clothes into his bag. She chose to ignore it, even as her mind screamed to say something.

A bitter chuckle left his lips. “That bad, huh?” He couldn’t keep his anger to himself. He was at the end of his rope. Work had been slow, giving him ample time to think long and hard about their situation. Once his shift ended, he had done nothing but stew over the fact that Joyce was out with John.

“John doesn’t wanna be a father.”

Her quiet statement was like a splash of cold water. He turned to face her and then froze when their eyes met. “What?”

“He was hoping it wasn’t his.”

Hopper’s fists clenched as he vividly imagined punching the man square in the face over and over until he was on the ground bleeding.

Darkly, Joyce joked, “I really know how to pick em’? Don’t I?”

His anger evaporated as his concern for her grew. Dropping his bag, he moved to her side and sat down. “Hey. You okay?”

With her shoulders hunched forward, she let out a sigh. “Actually...yeah.” She glanced towards him and when she saw no judgement cross his features, she continued, “I’m kinda relieved.”

His brows raised in surprise. “Really?”

“I know it’s screwed up.” She rested her hand on her stomach and looked down at the life growing inside of her. “I just can’t help but think that the baby will be better off without him.” Dinner with John was a total disaster. He was a pompous jerk who definitely got around. She couldn’t imagine how awful and complicated it would be to have him popping in and out of their child’s life whenever he was in town. She had done that with Lonnie, she had no interest in doing it again.

“This isn’t on you. He’s the screwed up one. If he doesn’t want his own kid, then fuck him.”

Joyce’s lips cracked into a small smile at that. He could always make her laugh, even in the worst of times. Eventually, she built up the courage to address the elephant in the room. “What are you doing?” She wasn’t stupid. She knew the answer, but needed to hear him say it.

“I uh...I think it’s time the kid and I get home. We’ve been in your hair long enough.” He tried to put an amused spin on it, as if he wasn’t suddenly uprooting their lives, but it didn’t work. He couldn’t muster up the energy needed to pull it off.

Joyce’s stomach dropped. Hearing it was so much worse than she imagined and she regretted even asking. “Why now?” She wasn’t ready for the conversation they needed to have, but there was no stopping it now.

Hopper began to play with the cuffs of his shirt. Over and over, he popped the buttons and then reset them. “It’s just time. I never meant to stay this long.”

“You don’t have to go. We um, we like having you here.”

“Joyce…” he had trouble meeting her eyes, but eventually did and almost lost his nerve at the emotion he saw there. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do, but that’s exactly what would happen if they kept going at this rate. They would all end up hurt...and that wasn’t something he could live with. “What are we even doing?”

She knew what he meant and she wished she didn’t. She wished she could play dumb and pretend like she had no idea what he was talking about, but it was impossible with his blue eyes drilling through hers. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to admit the truth. “I don’t know.”

Her words were expected, but still a disappointment. As his eyes glistened over, he tore them away. “I can’t sit back and watch you date other guys while you figure it out. It’s been almost a year now.”

As her pride took over, she grew defensive. “It wasn’t a date.”

“If this one wasn’t, the next one will be.”

“Hopper, I’m not out there looking for dates.”

He shook his head and refused to let her say anything else. “The other night, Jonathan accused us of playing house.” 

Joyce’s eyes widened. “He did?”

His lips sagged into a frown. “He’s right, Joyce.”

“Hop…”

His hand moved to her leg, stopping her from continuing once again. “He’s right.” She opened her mouth to speak, so he quickly said what he needed to say before he could be interrupted. “I don’t wanna play house. I told you before all this happened….” his words trailed off as he pointed to her stomach. “ I want the whole package. I want us to be a real family and if that’s not what you want, then we can’t keep pretending.”

Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head. Her response came in a choked whisper. “I just...I don’t know. I don’t know anything right now.” Shamefully, she ducked her head down. Her heart ached so badly that she was sure it would break apart. Nothing lasted in her life. No one ever stayed. She couldn’t imagine losing him and taking the next step with him seemed like a sure fire way to lose him for good. “Hopper...I love you. You know that.”

Hopper moved his hand from her leg to her shoulder and let out a painful sigh. He wasn’t mad. He was just...sad. Things never worked out for them the way they should. Desperate to keep his emotions in check, he swallowed down the lump in his throat. “I know.” For once, they weren’t fighting. They were having a mature, adult discussion and somehow, that hurt even more than an argument would. “But, it’s not enough. Not anymore.” 

When her defeated eyes met his, he gripped her tighter and pulled her towards him. “Nothing’s gonna change.” The statement wasn’t just for her. He needed it just as much. “I’m not going back on what I said. I’m still gonna be here for you. And the kids.”

Joyce took shaky breaths. Her limbs trembled with the effort it took to keep herself from crying. Despite his words to the contrary, it felt like this was the end. It felt like a goodbye...and it was an awful feeling.

Hopper rested his head against hers and let his eyes fall shut. It wasn’t her fault. Not really. He shouldn’t have insisted that he move in. He shouldn’t have stayed so long. He shouldn’t...have gotten so attached. Now, at one of the most stressful times of her life, he was asking her to make a life altering decision. He couldn’t blame her for cracking under the pressure. “I love you.”

Joyce’s lips trembled as she nodded. She understood why he was leaving, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. Her body was already building up walls, trying to protect her weak and wounded heart. She wasn’t going to let him in. She couldn’t. Slowly she moved out of his grip and stood up.

“I’m...um...I’m gonna take a shower.” She couldn’t sit and watch him walk out of her life. “Maybe you shouldn’t drag El out of here tonight. Jonathan can drop her off after school tomorrow.” 

Understanding why she was suddenly leaving, he nodded and quickly agreed. He didn’t trust himself to say anything else, or even meet her eyes. Leaving, was hard….and going through with it was even harder, so he was actually glad that she would be occupied.

Once she was gone, Hopper took one last sorrowful look around the room and then gathered his things, for his journey home.


	12. Chapter 12

Joyce sat and methodically folded piece after piece of clean laundry. Still out of a job, she spent her time cleaning and getting the house ready for the baby. For once, she didn’t mind doing laundry. It kept her from getting lost in her own maddening thoughts.

Five days had passed since Hopper and Jane’s departure and Hopper was wrong. Things weren’t the same. The house was too quiet. Her bed was too empty. The boys tiptoed around her, afraid to even utter his name. Nothing was the same. Nothing at all.

Blindly reaching for the pile, Joyce yanked a large plain t-shirt from the bottom and immediately froze when she realized that it was one of Hopper’s. Without thinking, she brought it to her nose, but all traces of his scent had vanished in the wash. With a frustrated sigh, she tossed it to the ground.

Tiny ghosts of Hopper and Jane popped up all over the house, haunting her on a daily basis. Whether it was Jane’s endless lists found crumpled under the couch or articles of Hopper’s clothing, it didn’t matter. Each one stabbed her with the painful feeling of regret.

“Mom?”

She looked up to see Jonathan standing over her. Worried lines crisscrossed his face and she frowned. “What’s wrong?” Her eyes followed his to the floor, where the crumpled shirt sat abandoned.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah…yeah. I’m fine.” Her fingers toyed with her ear as she effortlessly lied to her son.

Jonathan didn’t believe her, but he pretended to. He found the situation almost ironic. After all, he had been the one to insist that they all stop pretending and now…now, they were pretending more than ever.

“I can drop this off when I pick up El,” he said, as he scooped up the shirt.

No! Joyce bit her lip to keep from saying the word out loud. She forced herself to nod. “Are you sure you don’t mind getting her?”

“Mom, it’s on the way.”

“I know, but you’ve got a lot on your plate with finals and he’s more than capable of bringing her to school.”

Jonathan tried to still her nerves by putting his hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine, really.” He looked towards Will who had just stepped into the room, ready for school. “Besides, El hates when Hopper drops her off, right Will?”

“He threatened to shoot Eric Zimmerman last time he dropped us off,” agreed Will.

“Eric Zimmerman probably deserved it,” Joyce mumbled, under her breath.

“It’s so embarrassing.”

“At least he tries,” Jonathan said, in a matter-of-fact tone. His defense of Hopper earned him surprised looks from his mother and brother. With a shrug, he added, “It’s more than Lonnie ever did.”

Will’s gaze went first to Jonathan and then to Joyce. In his mind, the use of Hopper’s name was almost taboo and he wanted to see how she would react. “He’d make us walk to school in the rain, if you were working.”

Joyce smiled, sadly. There were a million nasty things she could say about Lonnie, but none she could say about Hopper. “You’re right. He does try.” Her eyes grew wet, but she refused to cry in front of her boys.

Noticing that her mood had plummeted, Jonathan tried to lighten things up. “It’s not every day you find somebody who’d shoot someone for you.” However, his words fell flat and he watched in disappointment as her face fell. “Sorry…”

Joyce recovered quickly. When she realized how late it was, she shooed them away. “You’re gonna be late if you don’t hurry.” She kept herself busy by fussing over Will’s backpack and then ushering them out the door.

***  
“Hey, kid, turn that garbage off.” Across town, Hopper buttoned up his uniform and scowled at Jane’s half eaten breakfast. “What’d we talk about? Breakfast first. Then TV.” Stubbornly, she ignored him and he rolled his eyes in frustration. “You’re still not talking to me, huh?”

His question drew nothing but a glare from her, but he wasn’t surprised by that. She had done nothing but glare at him since they left Joyce’s. Equipped with his own stubborn streak, he was determined to wait it out and refused to give in to her behavior. “You’ll be starving by lunch time.”

They carried on that way, with Hopper talking and Jane ignoring until there was a knock at the door. “You’re late.”

Jane flipped the TV off with her mind and then raced to the door. It was the first excitement she had shown in days. “Will.” She wrapped her arms around him as if her life depended on it.

Hopper threw up his hands in frustration. “It’s freezing, shut the damn door.”For once, she actually listened. She pulled her friend inside and then went to gather her things.

Shuffling his feet, Will sheepishly looked towards Hopper. “Um…Jonathan told me to give this to you.” He held out the shirt and didn’t meet his eyes as he took it.

“Thanks, buddy.” Hopper’s hands ran over the soft material. The smell of Joyce’s flowery detergent floated up towards his nose and his stomach lurched. “How’s it going?” The boys were just two of the many things that he missed about their old arrangement.

Will shrugged. “Okay.”

“And uh…your mom?” Hopper’s hand grazed his hair. “How’s she doing?” Aside from attending her weekly doctor’s appointment, his contact with her had been minimal. He wasn’t avoiding her, yet, somehow…they were barely talking.

“She’s okay, I guess.” Will didn’t even try to make his statement sound believable. What was the point? She wasn’t okay. No one was.

“I’m ready,” Jane said. She had a large poster board in her hands and looked towards her father. “Jonathan’s helping me with my art project.”

Stunned by the fact that she was finally talking to him, Hopper simply nodded.  
It wasn’t until they were walking towards the door that he regained his ability to speak. “Hey, tell your mom I said thanks. You know…for the shirt.”

Will shot him an unreadable look and then lifted his head high. “Tell her yourself,” he insisted. He was tired of being an observer. He was tired of sitting back as the world passed by around him. Slowly, as he worked to put the trauma of his past behind him, he was finding his voice.

A proud smile crept up Hopper cheeks. “Noted.”

Once he was alone, Hopper attempted to call Joyce. He got so far as to dial her number, before he chickened out and slammed the phone down. His mood took a nosedive as he banged around his trailer and then eventually left for work.

***  
“Jonathan, drive faster. I’m starving.”

“I’m going the speed limit, Will.”

“Mom never goes the speed limit.”

From the passenger seat of Jonathan’s car, Joyce distastefully clicked her tongue and Jonathan laughed. “It’s kinda true, mom.”

The police station approached on their right, prompting Will to add, “It’s not like Hopper will give you a speeding ticket.”

“Do you even know him?” came Jonathan’s incredulous question. “He’d give me a ticket and try to ground me, too.”

“He can’t ground you.”

“Yeah well, he’ll try anyway. Right mom?” He glanced towards her, only to find that her attention was focused out the window. They passed by the police station, where Hopper’s truck was visible out front and still, her eyes never left.

“Turn around,” Joyce said, suddenly.

“What?” Jonathan stopped at a stop sign and turned to face her. Her eyes were still on the window. “Mom, why?”

“Just do it. Go back to the station.” Frantically she clawed at the glass as if she were trying to get out.

From the back seat, Will glanced longingly at the diner in the distance. “But, we’re going to dinner…”

“We’re still going,” insisted Joyce. “I just need to stop at the station first.”

“Are you serious? Mom, what’s going on?” Adrenaline tore through his chest as Jonathan tried to figure out what he should do. Cars were starting to back up behind him, he had to make a decision, and fast. “Mom, are you okay?”

Finally, Joyce turned to him and smiled. “Yes, just go, or let me out and I’ll walk.”

“No way! It’s freezing.” Without giving it any more thought, he checked his surroundings and then turned the car in the opposite direction. The move was so fast that the tires squealed and the car behind him honked in annoyance.

Jonathan brought the car to a stop beside Hopper’s truck and grabbed her arm before she could get out. “Is something happening? Is it the baby?” He was completely confused and the determination in her eyes didn’t clear anything up.

“Everything’s fine. I promise.” Joyce squeezed his hand to comfort him and then looked back at Will. “I just need to talk to Hop...and then we’ll go eat.”

Jonathan’s brows furrowed at her erratic behavior. “What? But can’t you just call him?”

Joyce was quick to shake her head. She couldn’t wait another minute. She had to see him, right then and there. “No. Just stay here. I’ll be back.” Amidst their protests, Joyce fled the car and went into the station.

Joyce’s epiphany had struck her so suddenly and so forcefully, that she could barely contain her urgency. Finally, she knew what she wanted, and what she wanted…had been right in front of her the whole time. Everyone was mostly gone for the day, so she didn’t bother to make her presence known as she moved down the hall.

His office door was open, allowing her to see Hopper behind his desk, engrossed in paperwork. Jane was there too, only she was on the floor, doing homework. Joyce’s chest tightened as she watched the pair go about their new routine. She grew suddenly nervous, but not nervous enough to change her mind.

The proper thing to do would be to knock on the door, and she lifted her hand to do just that, when Jane suddenly looked up and noticed her.

“Joyce!” The girl was up and at her side within seconds. She wrapped her arms tightly around her.

“Hi, sweetie,” Joyce cooed. Her eyes slipped shut as she returned the embrace.

“I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too.” When Joyce’s eyes opened, they went right to Hopper. He was no longer sitting behind his desk. Instead, he stood to the side, his body tense and completely still. His face drained of all color when their eyes met.

“Joyce…is everything alright?” The worry in his tone was barely contained.

“Yeah…” Her voice trailed off for a bit before continuing, “I just need to talk to you.” She tried to pull back from Jane’s embrace, but got some resistance, so she put her hands to the girl’s cheeks and smiled. “Honey, I need to talk to your dad, alright? The boys are out in the car. Can you go sit with them?”

Jane would have denied the same request from anyone else. Not from Joyce, though. Bathing in the motherly affection, she smiled, and looked to her father for confirmation before leaving the office without a fuss.

Hopper shuffled from foot to foot. There was no confidence in his demeanor. “What’s goin’ on?” Her sudden appearance couldn’t mean anything good for him. History had taught him that.

Joyce let the words she had been longing to say tumble out of her mouth. “You said nothing would change.”

“What?”

“You said that nothing would change…and you…you were wrong. Everything changed.”

Hopper’s mouth fell open. His forehead creased in confusion as he scratched his chin. “Joyce,” he started to argue, but she cut him off by charging towards him.

For the first time in a long time, she felt confident, and strong. She had never backed down from anything. She wasn’t going to start now. “Come home.”

Her command left him even more confused. As she stepped into his personal space, he crossed his arms, ready to shut her out. “You can’t just…” again, he was cut off, but this time, it was by her lips, as they pressed against his. It was a chaste kiss, and by the time he had the presence of mind to return it, she was pulling away.

“I figured out what I want.” She pressed her hands against his chest and grabbed fistfuls of his uniform. Because he was staring down at her with the most shocked expression she had ever seen, she repeated herself, and then added, “I want to be with you.” Her face moved closer to his until her breath was hot against his face. “And I want you and Jane to come home. Tonight.”

He didn’t have a chance to respond before she was on her tiptoes and her lips were on his again. This time, he eagerly returned the kiss. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and it dueled intensely with hers until he had to break away for air. “You sure?”

Breathlessly, Joyce stood staring up at him. Her chest heaved and her cheeks were pink with desire. “Yes.”

Her one word answer was all he needed to hear. Slouching, so that she didn’t have to reach, he put his hands on her hips and pulled her towards him. His mouth went back to hers and their kiss deepened immediately. They quickly turned into a pile of passionate limbs as their hands explored and their lips devoured.

Joyce never wanted their kiss to end, but things were heating up fast and her rational mind snapped back into place. Hesitantly, she pulled her face away, but couldn’t bring herself to back out of his embrace. “Hopper….”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he mumbled as he leaned over and buried his head into her shoulder.

Not entirely sure what he was apologizing sure, she put his mind at ease. “No, it’s just…the kids are out in the car…” He pulled his head up as she glanced towards the door. “And anyone could walk in…”

A dazed expression crossed his face as he stared at her. He was completely under her spell and couldn’t think clearly. In that moment, he’d do anything to keep her in his arms. His hands drifted to her stomach where they gently caressed her swollen flesh. “I don’t care.” He peppered her neck with light kisses.

Deep giggles erupted from her throat. His touch ignited long forgotten nerves and she found herself lost in desire once again until she realized it, and playfully shoved him away. “I promised the boys I’d take them to the diner.”

“They can take themselves.” He reached for her neck again, but this time she was prepared, and pulled completely away.

Like a child, he frowned in disappointment. A sly smile crept across her face. “We can finish this later.”

Straightening up and adjusting his pants, he shot her a testing look. “Can we?” 

“It depends what time you get your ass back home.” He was silent for a long time after that and for a split second, she wondered if he had changed his mind.

“Take the kid with you, to the diner…” he finally said. “And I’ll go and pack.”

Joyce couldn’t keep her hands from shaking. For once, it was out of excitement, and not nervousness. Standing on her toes once again, she kissed him and then hurriedly stepped back before he his hands could reach her. “Don’t take too long.”

Hopper groaned. She was driving him crazy, in the best possible way. Kids or no kids, his need for her was reaching the point of no return. “You need to go, before I lock us in here.”

***  
Outside, Jonathan fiddled with the radio while Jane grumbled from the backseat. “Why’d she kick me out?”

“They’re fighting, I guess,” came Will’s jaded response. “I wish they’d stop. I’m so hungry.”

Jonathan found a song that would do and then turned to face them. “No. Mom wasn’t angry. You know how she gets when she’s angry. This is something else.”

Will sighed. “Like what?” At the moment, all he cared about was his groaning stomach.

“Getting back together?” wondered El, hopefully.

You can’t get back together with someone you were never with, but Jonathan didn’t bother to correct her. “Maybe.”

“She’s coming!” exclaimed Will. “Finally.”

Jonathan whipped his head around just as his mother got into the passenger side of his car. He studied her flushed cheeks, messy hair, and bright eyes before groaning in disgust. In embarrassment, he looked away. “Really, mom?” 

Joyce shot him a stern look and then turned to face the back. “Honey, do you wanna have dinner with us? We’re going to the diner.”

Jane’s response was automatic, but then she remembered Hopper and frowned. She pointed towards the station. “But, what about him?”

“Hopper’s gonna meet us at home, later.”

The word ‘home’ didn’t register in the girl’s mind. After getting her hopes up that the two were getting back together, she was disappointed that he wasn’t coming with them. From the rear view mirror, Jonathan and Will shared a knowing look, but Jane didn’t notice. “He should come with us.”

It was hard for Joyce to twist around, but she managed to do it so that her body was partially facing the back. She took Jane’s hand and held it tight. “He’s going back to the trailer, to pack.”

Jane’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Pack?” She didn’t understand what was going on.

Joyce’s eyes left Jane’s only long enough to look towards Will, and then Jonathan. She wasn’t nervous about their reactions, which was an odd feeling for her. “Guys, would you be okay if Hopper and Jane lived with us?”

Will was the first to speak up. “Forever?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Jesus, mom,” snapped Jonathan, in a playful tone. “It’s about time.”

Amused by his response, Joyce laughed and then looked to her youngest son. “Will?”

“Um…yeah.” He didn’t understand why it was even a question or one that he had to answer. She knew how much he loved Hopper and Jane, didn’t she? “But, can we eat first?”

Joyce couldn’t stop smiling. It was as if her face was permanently stuck that way. “Of course we can.” She was still holding Jane’s hand and when she looked back to her, the girl burst into tears. “Oh, don’t cry.”

Will stared at Jane as if she had two heads and Jonathan glanced back in concern. “What’s wrong?” they asked, in unison.

“Forever?” Jane sobbed. “You promise?”

Joyce’s eyes filled with tears and soon, her own slipped down her cheeks. “I promise.”

“Now they’re both crying,” Will said to Jonathan, as if the girls weren’t even there.

Jonathan rolled his eyes, turned back around, and got ready to drive off. “Get used to it.” He advised. “Wait until the baby comes.”

“What does that even mean?” asked Will, but his brother didn’t answer and the girls didn’t either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the title of this fic is 'I'm Your Man'...but Joyce really had to be the one to move things forward. He did all that he could. He showed her the man he is and can be. The ball's been in her court for a long time, so I was eager for her to be the one to finally go there. 
> 
> Thanks so much for your lovely comments! This is wrapping up soon and I'm kind of sad about it!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An early Thanksgiving present. Since I'm so thankful for all of you, I wrote a chapter full of fluff. Tis the season. I guess. ;)
> 
> There is only one more chapter after this. It'll be a longer chapter, with a nice epilogue, I think. But, I really want to get this story done before anything comes out from the show that will ruin my motivation. Obviously Joyce isn't going to turn up pregnant (well, I assume) which isn't what I expected to happen anyway, but you know, once plot lines start coming out, this will instantly turn AU, so I wanted to get it resolved. 
> 
> Happy early Thanksgiving. Even if you don't celebrate, it's a nice time of year to practice gratitude and kindness. :)

Jane wouldn’t leave her spot by the dining room window. Her nose was pressed against the cool glass and when it fogged up, she wiped it away. Not even the smell of warm pies, fresh out of the oven, could pull her attention away.

Now, it was Jonathan’s turn to try and get her away from the spot. The clicking of his camera got her attention, but not for long. “Isn’t this what you wanted? One great big family Thanksgiving, like on TV? So what gives? You’re missing it.”

“He’s not here,” Jane mumbled. She was hard to hear with her face pressed against the glass.

“What?”

“It’s not _really_ a family Thanksgiving without him.”

Jonathan frowned and let the camera hang around his neck. “He’ll be here.”

She kept her eyes focused on the driveway. It looked empty without Hopper’s truck parked beside Joyce’s car. “4:15. He promised.”

“It’s only 4:00.” Jonathan lifted his wrist to check the time and then dangled it near her face.

“He’s gonna miss dinner.” Jane turned around and pushed his hand away.

“No he won’t.”

Looking towards the table that was set and ready, she let out a loud sigh. “He’s not supposed to work today.”

“Hey, he’s gonna get called in sometimes. It’s his job. He can’t help it.” Jonathan knew it was no use. Everyone had tried to reason with her, even Mike, over the phone, but he felt obligated to keep trying.

Stubbornly, she ignored his argument. “He said 4:15.” She had her own watch on, a gift from Mike, and she pointed it at him to prove a point. “It’s 4:05.”

Pots and pans rustled in the kitchen and curses soon followed, reminding Jonathan that he was supposed to be helping his mother with dinner. “He’s got 10 minutes. Give him that.” Despite years of disappointment from his own father, he believed in Hopper. “Here, why don’t you use my camera for a while?”

The chance to use something that was normally off limits was too great of an offer to pass up. Her stubborn streak was no match for the shiny camera. Jonathan handed it over and a few minutes ticked by as he showed her how to use it. Soon, she was clicking away and not at all concerned with the time as she drug Will into the backyard to take pictures of the falling leaves.

“Thank you,” Joyce told him, with a grateful smile. She was busy destroying the kitchen, so he quickly stepped in to take over.

As he carved up the turkey, he eyed up the clock on the wall. “He’ll be here on time, right?” Jonathan really, really hoped that the man wouldn’t make him a liar.

Unhappy with her mashed potatoes, she made a face as she stirred the runny concoction. “Of course he will.”

He studied her intently for any sign of disbelief, but he found none. With Lonnie, there were always signs. Now, the only thing reflecting in her warm gaze was happiness. A warm feeling crept into his chest at the thought.

***  
Only a few minutes passed by, but it seemed like hours as the pair worked in the stuffy kitchen. They heard Hopper before they saw him. “I pulled up the driveway at 4:15. That counts, right?” His boots fell loudly against the floor as he joined them.

Joyce shared a knowing smirk with her son and then shooed him away from the turkey. “Hopper can take over.” She handed Jonathan the bowl of mashed potatoes and he didn’t have a choice but to take it. “Put these on the table. And then go tell the kids to get in here.”

Once Jonathan was outside, Hopper un-tucked his uniform shirt and undid the cuffs. “Jesus, it’s roasting in here.” Eager to eat, he went right to work on the turkey. “I figured the kid would be waiting for me by the door.”

Taking advantage of the moment alone, Joyce went to his side and kissed him. His unruly mustache poked at her skin, but she was used to it by now. “She started waiting by the window around 2:00.” When worry lines developed across his forehead, she smoothed them down with the tips of her fingers. “You’re here, now. She’ll be happy.”

Hopper let out a relieved sigh. He was getting the hang of this family thing, one day at a time. His cheeks lifted into a hefty smile. “And you? Are you happy?”

She answered with her lips, instead of her words. Forgetting about his growling stomach, he abandoned the turkey so that he could wrap his arms around her.

Their stolen moment was interrupted by a disgusted groan from the back doorway. They pulled away, but Hopper refused to let her go as he glanced up to see the kids crammed there.

By the look on Jonathan’s face, it was clear who had protested. “The kitchen? Really?”

Joyce laughed in embarrassment and tried to pull away again, but he wouldn’t budge. They had been careful to keep their affections to a minimum in front of the kids. They didn’t want to push too much on them too soon. Today, however, Hopper found himself unable to care. The holiday had completely softened his hardened heart.

El wasn’t put off by the scene before her. “You and Nancy do it.”

Jonathan turned red. “We do not.”

“You do. Mike and I saw you and it was worse…”

“Okay,” Joyce interrupted. She used both hands to firmly push away from the bear of a man beside her. He finally let her go with little fanfare. “Let’s eat before it gets cold.” Her cheeks were just as pink as Jonathan’s.

“Sisters are the worst,” Will teased. When he realized that all eyes were on him, he frowned. “What?”

Jonathan recovered from his earlier embarrassment when he noticed the utter panic on his mother’s face. “They’re not married,” he reminded.

Will didn’t see the problem. “So?”

Shrugging at Joyce, Jonathan silently apologized. He was about to argue with his brother, when Hopper took over. “She certainly acts like a little sister,” he dead-panned and just like that, the awkwardness was broken, even for Joyce.

“Why do I have to be the little sister?” Jane’s frown was big and dramatic.

Sternly, but with an amused smirk, Joyce ordered Hopper to finish the turkey and then told the boys to carry the rest of the food to the dining room. She ruffled Jane’s shoulder length hair and ushered her too, out of the kitchen. “Because you’re younger, sweetie.”

“Barely.”

“You’re much younger than Jonathan.”

Jane had always wanted a family, but now that she had one, she didn’t quite grasp the complex dynamics of birth order. “When the baby comes I won’t be the younger sister anymore.” She found her seat beside Will at the table.

“You don’t just stop being the younger sister, you just won’t be the youngest anymore,” advised Jonathan.

“Then what will I be?”

Will stared at the food in anticipation, but tried to help with the conversation. “Nothing.” When he realized how it sounded, he quickly corrected himself. “Well, we’ll both be nothing.”

Joyce clicked her tongue and sat down at one end of the table. “You guys will never be nothing.”

Hopper took his a seat at the other end of the table and handed the plate of turkey to Jane. The topic was far too serious for a holiday meal. “How bout’ we eat, huh?”

The food distraction worked, for a bit, but dessert was barely out before Jane offered up another heavy conversation starter. “Max said when the baby comes we’ll be like the Brady Bunch.”

Hopper almost choked on his mouth full of pumpkin pie. He should have known his inquisitive daughter would not be appeased for long.

“Not really,” argued Jonathan. He was about to keep going, but stopped when Joyce shot him a warning look. Rolling his eyes, he swept his hair out of his face and reached for the apple pie.

Will was hard at work on his second piece, but he slowed down so that he could respond. “She means with our last names.”

A dreadful feeling washed over Hopper as he realized where things were headed. He glanced up at Joyce, but found that she was blissfully unaware.

“What do you mean?” Jonathan asked.

Hopper wiped a nervous hand over his forehead as El used her fork to point towards him. He knew what she was going to say before she said it.

“The baby will be a Hopper. Just like me and you.”

Realization dawned on Joyce suddenly. Shyly, she looked up to meet his eyes, but she kept her features purposefully impassive, which gave him no idea how to move forward. Soon, a thick fog like silence loomed over the table.

Will reached for more pie. “Three of us and three of you.”

Jonathan wished he could be as oblivious as Will. He pushed his food around his plate and watched as his mother and Hopper desperately tried to find something else to talk about. Anxiety built and built in his stomach until he finally stood up and helped  
them out of their misery.

“Um, we told Mike and Nancy we’d call them after dinner.” His statement got Will and Jane up and racing towards the phone and for once, he happily joined them.

Left alone with nothing but food and their thoughts, Hopper got up and changed seats. Sitting beside her always made things better. “You okay?”

Beneath dark lashes, she stared at him with a wistful expression. “It’s just…you know…” she pushed her dessert plate away as her words trailed off.

“Complicated.” His long limbs invaded her personal space and rested against hers.

“I’ve been thinking about it, the last name thing, but I don’t know. I don’t know what to do.”

This was a topic they had never discussed and he couldn’t help the way his eyebrows rose in curiosity. “Uh, what are your options?”

“You’re not gonna like them,” came her slightly teasing tone.

In the next room, the kids were arguing over the phone. Just this once, the adults chose to ignore them. “I only kept Byers for the boys.” Hopper pursed his lips to keep himself from saying what was on his mind regarding her ex-husband. His silence allowed her to continue. “And I doubt John wants the baby to have his last name.”

Hopper couldn’t keep his disgust to himself anymore. With a groan, he covered his face.

“I told you,” she reminded.

“When you’re right, you’re right.”

Joyce softly laughed, but it didn’t take long for her features to fall as anxiety set in.

Her sudden change in mood helped him push past his bitterness. “What about Horowitz?”

“My maiden name?” Her nose scrunched up in confusion. She had been Joyce Byers for so long that her maiden name now sounded foreign. “That would be a trip, wouldn’t it?”

“It’s an idea.” A dark strand of hair was almost covering her eyes. With gentle fingers he swept it away and then lingered against her cheek. He wanted to tell her to use Hopper. His heart practically demanded it, but his brain had other ideas. “There’s still time to figure it out.” Things were going so well. He was terrified that one step too far would destroy everything.

Unaware that his heart and mind were constantly battling, Joyce nodded and let out a tiny sigh. “You’re right. I’ll figure it out.”

Hopper leaned back in his chair. “No, we’ll figure it out.” He patted his overly full stomach and then grinned. “Like we always do, _Joyce Horowitz_.” Her laughter soon drowned out the arguing from the kitchen.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be the last chapter, but there will now be one more after this ;) My muse couldn't wrap it all up in one. I'm so sorry that it took so long. I've been battling some seasonal depression that really ruins my muse.

Music bellowed from the turntable speakers as Jane marched through the master bedroom door. “What’s she doing?” Her question came with no preamble or greeting as she studied the scene before her. 

Hopper was on the floor, hunched over a mountain of crib parts and he nearly jumped out of his skin at her words. “Jesus.” He shoved some tools out of his way and turned towards her. “What are you talking about?’

“Joyce. What’s she doing?”

Hopper took his time responding. He was focused on rubbing a sore spot along the back of his neck. “Uh, I dunno. What’s she doing?”

“That’s what I’m asking you.”

“How should I know? I’ve been in here.” He scowled at the huge box beside him and then let out a disgruntled huff as he reached for the directions that were still inside. His stomach growled, reminding him just how long it had been.

Jane watched his every move, but withheld any comments about the crib. “Will said you’d know.”

Attempting to focus on the directions only enhanced his frustration. The paper crinkled in his strong grip as he squeezed. “Why me?”

Jane shrugged. “Joyce’s cleaning the kitchen again, but she just cleaned it yesterday…” her words trailed off as she glanced towards the door.

A low, deep, chuckle left his lips. “Oh. That.” His forehead crinkled as he stared up at the ceiling. Eventually, he focused back on her. “She’s nesting. It’s normal.” Then as an afterthought, he added, “I think.”

“Nesting?”

“Yeah, you know, like a bird builds a nest. It’s what women do before they have a baby.”

The image of Joyce as a big, frantic bird popped into her head and her eyes widened. “Should we…help her…build her nest?”

“Best to just let her be.” Glancing towards the open door, he then dropped his tone to a whisper. “I tried to help her clean the bathroom last night and she almost bit my head off.”  
This time, her mind conjured up a terrifying bird with claws and teeth and her eyes grew wide. Figures of speech were often lost on her, something even her father tended to forget. “I’ll tell Will,” came her quiet response. Once his attention was focused back on the directions, she left the room faster than when she came.

***

Will came into the room an hour or so later and flopped down on the bed. This time, Hopper wasn’t surprised by the intrusion. “What’s goin’ on?” His back ached from sitting on the floor, so he stood up with a hefty groan and stretched.

The boy’s eyes landed on the partially put together crib. “It’s not done yet?”

“Does it look done?” he snapped. He regretted his tone within seconds and scrubbed his face with his hand. “It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be.”

Will was unperturbed by Hopper’s bad mood. They had all adapted to living together. His long legs and arms sprawled out across the bed like he was making a snow angel. When he was done, he pointed towards the dresser. “Can’t the baby just sleep in a drawer?”

“Do you really want your sister to sleep in a drawer?” He had long given up the argument that the baby may not be a girl.

“Not really…but if you can’t get the crib together, then…maybe.”

Hopper’s chest puffed and the muscles in his jaw twitched. “I’ll get it put together.”

“Okay.” Will didn’t sound so sure, which only made him more determined

“Hey, it’s a damn crib. It ain’t rocket science.”

Will ignored him. Instead, he sat up and held out a piece of paper for Hopper to take. “I made this.”

“What’s this?”

“El said that mom’s nesting, so I drew her.”

Hopper took the picture, and his face blanched at the cartoon like drawing. It was a giant round bird sitting on a nest, only, the bird had Joyce’s face…a very stern face. “Uh…maybe don’t show this to her just yet.” A chuckle left his lips when Will shot him a knowing smirk and took the picture back.

“It’s Christmas Eve. Usually we make cookies…but this year, she’s too busy nesting.”

An image of freshly baked cookies popped into Hopper’s head and his stomach responded quickly. Food was a must, but he was too proud to leave the room knowing that the crib wasn’t finished. “The baby could come any day now. She’s just trying to get ready.”

“I hope she’s born tomorrow.”

Hopper stomach suddenly began to churn. Beads of sweat broke out across his palms as he took in the crib that was nowhere near ready.

Will pounced on the man’s nervousness. “I’ll clean out of my drawers,” he insisted. “Just in case.”

Pursing his lips together, Hopper shut his eyes and tried to calm his nerves. Will was almost to the door when he opened his eyes and called out, “hey kid, can you bring me somethin’ to eat?”

The clanking sound of pots and pans banging against the stove reverberated from the kitchen, down the hall, and into the room, causing them to share a weary glance.

Will swallowed hard. “Like what?”

“I dunno. Anything. Something that won’t bother her…” He gestured for the boy to get going, before he passed out from hunger. 

***

The crib still wasn’t done by the time the sun set. The last few pieces were the hardest to figure out. After several attempts he threw the heavy screw driver onto the floor and kicked the partially destroyed directions aside. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he grumbled, until he heard a throat clear behind him. His cheeks instantly reddened when he found Joyce hovering in the doorway.

“Need some help?” came her soft question as she padded into the room. Despite the bitter December temperature, she was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. No one dared argue with her lack of clothing. 

Hopper played it cool at first. “No, I’m almost done.” He pointed towards the lopsided crib and smiled grimly. It was hard to keep his annoyance in check as a sigh escaped his lips. “I know it’s been a while, but I don’t remember it being this hard. Since when did they have so many pieces? And the directions are barely in English.” 

Gently, Joyce ran her small fingers of the sturdy dark wood. It looked nothing like the picture on the box, but if she was disappointed, she didn’t show it. “You could always return it.” 

Hopper shook his head while he sipped his beer. He wasn’t about to give up. “I’ll figure it out.” 

“We could always use the one that Karen kept. Holly barely used it.”  
With a painful grimace, he stretched his back. “The baby should have a new crib…”

“Hop, it’s a crib,” Joyce chastised. He had surprised her with it, and while she loved it (more than she cared to admit), she couldn’t help but feel unworthy. 

“You deserve it, Joyce.” He shot her a long, steady look, that told her not to even bother arguing. His knees protested as he sat down on the edge of the bed. 

Soon, she was hovering above him. Her warm hand ghosted his cheek before landing to rest gently on his shoulder. “How bout’ a break? Dinner’s almost ready. Jonathan’s cooking.” 

Hopper stared longingly at the crib. Admitting defeat, he shifted his eyes to hers. “I could eat.” 

“Is this what you signed up for?” Her lips cracked into a small smile. “Putting a crib together on Christmas Eve?” Her words were light, almost, teasing, but the doubt in her brown eyes told a different story. 

His hands went to her hips, anchoring her in the space between his legs. “There’s no place I’d rather be.” 

***

It wasn’t the music blaring from his headphones, but the lack thereof, that woke Jonathan up out of a dead sleep. A frightened yelp left his lips when he noticed Hopper standing over his bed with the tape player in his hands.

The dim light from the hallway illuminated the man’s serious expression. “What’s wrong?” Adrenaline rapidly pumped through his veins as he sat up. 

“Your mom’s in labor. We’re headed to the hospital.”

The words didn’t make any sense, at first. His sleepy brain took extra time to figure out what was going on. His body moved before his mouth, propelling him forward to kick the covers away. He didn’t get very far before Hopper’s hand landed on his shoulder.

He pointed towards the door. “Stay here. They’re asleep.” His voice was terse, but not steady. 

“I’ll wake them up.”

“There’s no time for that.”

“I’ll be quick.”

Hopper’s grip on his shoulder tightened. “There’s no damn time. Do you understand?”

There it was. The strict, eerily calm, take-no-prisoners tone that Jonathan was used to. His eyes widened and his heart sped up even more. Their gazes locked in brief understanding before he nodded in acceptance. Hopper was gone before anything further could be discussed and soon, the sound of his truck could be heard peeling out of the driveway.

In shock, he sat in his bed for several minutes before reality set in. “Fuck this.” His long legs carried him into the next room. “Will, wake up.” He not so gently poked at his brother’s back.

Will groaned and rubbed his eyes. “Jonathan?”

“Get up. The baby’s coming. Hopper and mom went to the hospital.”

Across the room, in her new bed, Jane stirred and Jonathan repeated himself so that she could hear.

Will frowned. “But…it’s Christmas Eve.”

“So?” He flipped the lights on to hurry them along.

“The baby can’t be born today.”

Jonathan’s cheeks creased in confusion. “Why?”

Jane searched through her dresser for some clothes. “He bet Dustin that she’d be born tomorrow. Dustin picked today.”

“El!”

“You bet on the baby?”

Sheepishly, Will shrugged. As Jane headed for the bathroom she called out, “We all did.”

“It’s 10:45. Maybe I won’t lose.”

Jonathan rolled his eyes. “Get dressed, or I’m leaving without you. I don’t care what Hopper says.”

“The baby won’t make me a loser!” Will called on deaf ears.

 

***

The maternity ward waiting room quiet. Although there were plenty of seats in the small room, the teenagers all stuck together. Jonathan bit at his thumb nail, Jane kicked her feet against the legs of the chair, and Will intently stared at his watch.

It was almost midnight, but Will wasn’t appeased. “Dustin will be so annoying if he wins.”

Jane lifted her wrist to check her own watch. “You’ll win. Babies can take a long time.”

Jonathan spoke up for the first time since their arrival. “I don’t know about that. Hopper seemed pretty freaked out.”

In her lap, sat a book on pregnancy that she had read cover to cover several times over. “The book says it will take hours.”

“Books can be wrong.”

“No they can’t,” argued Jane.

Jonathan rolled his eyes. “Of course they can.”

Will let out sharp yell that got their attention. “It’s midnight!” Feeling energetic, he sat up straight and was almost bouncing in his seat. “Wait till I tell Dustin…”

“Um, Will, I hate to burst your bubble, but Hopper doesn’t even know we’re here. He told me to stay home, remember?”

“So?”

“So...the baby could be here already, for all we know.”

The air left Will’s lungs as his excitement deflated. The sudden change caused a heavy silence to fall over them all. Time ticked by at an alarmingly slow pace after that. One by one, random hospital staff members offered them holiday greetings, but aside from that, there was no one else around.

At some point, in the wee hours of Christmas morning, Jonathan’s eyes slid shut. Will’s did too, and then finally, Jane’s. All three were jolted awake by the sound of the double doors squeezing open. Their sleepy eyes took time to adjust to the fact that Hopper was standing in front of them. Reality didn’t sink in until he spoke.

“I had a feeling you’d be here.”  
Jonathan was the first to stand up. A twinge of panic dug into his chest when he took in the man’s stoic expression. “My mom…is she okay?”

Hopper squeezed Jonathan’s shoulder and his lips finally cracked into a big smile. “She’s fine. They both are.”

Jane and Will stood up and they’re eager questions rapidly fired one after the other.

“It’s a sister, right?”

“What time was she born?”

“What’s her name?”

“Was it after midnight or before?”

Overwhelmed by the onslaught, Hopper ran a hand over his chin. “It’s too damn early for this.” His adrenaline was wearing off, allowing exhaustion to seep in. “The baby’s in the nursery. Why don’t we go see her?”

“Wait, it’s a girl?” questioned Jonathan as he turned to Jane with surprise. “You were right?”

Jane beamed triumphantly. “Told you.”

Hopper met his daughter’s happy gaze. “She was right this whole time.”

The information came as no surprise to Will. He had faith in Jane’s intuition, but he was desperate to know the answer to his question. “When was she born?”

Jonathan rolled his eyes. “Enough with the stupid bet.”

Jane lightly swatted his arm. “It’s not stupid.”

“I’m just asking,” argued Will.

“What did you even bet anyway?”

Will’s eyes drifted to the floor. “Nothing…”

Jane answered for him. “It’s a secret.”

Hopper held up his hand. His incredulous groan shut them all up. “12:30, that’s when she was born.” His eyes narrowed at Will and Jane. “I don’t know what the hell’s goin’ on.” Jane opened her mouth to respond, but he spoke before she could. “I don’t even wanna know, just don’t go getting into any trouble.” 

Will and Jane shared looks before they followed Hopper out of the waiting room. The reality of having a new sibling didn’t sink in for any of them until they were standing at the row of nursery windows.

“That’s her.” Hopper rapped his knuckles against the glass. “Right there with the pink hat.” 

Jane leaned on the glass to get a better look. “She has hair.” Tufts of dark hair peeked out from the hat, making her stand out from the other babies around her. 

“Lots of it,” Will added. 

“She’s the biggest baby in there,” Hopper said, as if he himself had been responsible for that. “The other ones have been crying...but not her.” 

When Jonathan chanced a glance at Hopper, he noticed the glassy rims of his eyes. “Yeah, but, are you crying?” 

“It’s just allergies,” lied Hopper.” 

“In December?” Will cut in. 

Hopper smirked. “Maybe.” Jane, who was beside him, nudged him in the side and he wrapped his arm around her. “We’ll go see your mom soon.” None of them responded. They were too busy watching the baby.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is it. The final chapter. I'm so sorry that it's taken so long. I'm slowly but surely digging myself out of a creative block. Thanks for being so patient. This story was a labor of love. I can't believe that it's taken me so long to finish, but here we are. 
> 
> I hope that you enjoy it. Bring on the new season three content! I need some fic ideas!

Joyce didn’t dare let her eyes flutter closed. Taking her eyes off the baby just wasn’t an option.

Hopper spoke softly from the chair beside her. “You’ve gotta get some sleep.”

“So do you.” Her deflection was effortless.

Hopper stretched his long arms over his head and let out a gruff groan. “I got a solid ten minutes in after I walked the kids out. You need it more than I do.”

“I’m fine,” she insisted, when his concerned gaze fell upon hers. She shook her head as her name fell softly against his lips. “I don’t want her back in the nursery. I know it’s crazy.”

“It ain’t crazy.” His upper body brushed against hers as he leaned over the bed.

His tone was so full of confidence that she almost believed him. “I was never like this before…” her lips trembled as she pleaded her case. “I swear, I wasn’t. I raised two boys, Hop.”

“Joyce, I get it. Okay? You don’t have to explain yourself.”

Lines creased her forehead as she looked up at him in desperation. Of course he understood. How could he not? A moment of silent understanding passed between them.

“She doesn’t have to go back to the nursery…all I’m sayin’ is….let me take over for a bit so you can sleep.” He held out his hands and motioned towards the baby.

“I don’t know…”

“We’ll be right here. I promise.”

The brutal combination of hormones and lack of sleep only heightened her fears. Terror gripped her chest as she gently handed the baby off. Her trust in him was immense, but even that couldn’t stop the sob that erupted from her mouth once her arms were empty.

“We’re right here,” he soothed. “Aren’t we Natalie?”

Despite her best efforts, tears slipped down Joyce’s cheeks anyway. With an annoyed sigh she wiped them away and took several minutes to compose herself. She was tired of feeling scared all the time. To distract herself, she focused on her breathing and the man beside her. With such a small creature in his arms, he looked like a giant, and the image calmed her nerves. Nothing would happen to her on his watch, ever. She was sure of that.

Eventually her tears dried up and her breathing evened out. “That’s definitely what name we’re going with then?” The birth certificate was still sitting empty at the bottom of the bed. She cast it a sidelong glance, but was too tired to reach for it.

Hooper studied the baby. “She looks like a Natalie.”

“It did win the final vote…”

With a groan, he replied, “I still can’t believe that stupid vote was such a big deal.”

Joyce let out a soft chuckle. “Anyway, Will says it’s fate, because Natalie means Christmas…so it does seem pretty perfect.”

Normally Hopper would scoff at such an idea, but he was suddenly having a hard time keeping himself from being sentimental. “Maybe he’s right.”

His serious response stunned her into a brief silence, but she was used to that. She allowed her mind to wander until the silence ate away at her. Timidly, she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and blurted, “Natalie Hopper is a good name.”

He gave a swift nod in agreement, but then stopped mid-movement as the name sank in. It was his turn to be stunned as his blue eyes found hers. “Joyce…are you sure?”

“You’re her father.” Her explanation was full of sudden confidence.

Hopper’s eyes filled with tears and he couldn’t hide his grin. Fearful that he would cry he if tried to speak, he stayed quiet and the trio fell into a relaxed state of being.

No longer pre-occupied with staying awake, Joyce was fading fast. She slipped in and out of a light sleep before a nagging feeling crept into her head. She couldn’t help but voice her concerns. “Are the kids up to something? I’m surprised that they were in such a rush to get home. I figured we’d have to kick them out of here…”

He didn’t bother to sugar coat his response. “They’re absolutely up to something” It was only when her eyes popped up that he realized that he probably should have. “But they promised that it’s nothing dangerous.”

Joyce raised a skeptical eyebrow. “And you believe them?”

“I do,” he insisted, and he actually meant it.

Her eyes slipped shut again. “I’m not worried if you aren’t…” she trailed off, and for once, she actually meant it too. 

Epilogue

It was two days after Christmas, and the Byers’ house was bustling with teenage energy. Aside from Hopper stopping in once or twice, the kids had been mostly left to their own devices while Joyce and Natalie were in the hospital. His absence was just fine with them. They couldn’t put their plan into action with Hopper hovering around.

“Dustin! You’re just in here playing!” yelled Mike. He walked into Jonathan’s former bedroom and pointed at the wall. “You didn’t even finish.”

Dustin picked up his toy robot and stood up. “I’m not playing. One of the wheels was loose. The baby can’t have loose wheels.”

“She’s a baby. She doesn’t need a robot. She needs a room and you’re supposed to be in charge of painting.”

“Are you kidding me? Lee-Lee’s gonna love this thing. And, are you blind? I’m done. I’m just waiting for it to dry.” 

Mike’s face grew incredulous. “Lee-Lee? You already nick-named her?”

“No stupid. Your girlfriend did.”

Will hesitantly strolled into the room with his eyes wide and his arms full. “What’s going on?”

“Just Mike being a total shithead,” Dustin proclaimed. His tone dripped with sarcasm as he continued, “I finished painting…the walls are mint green, aren’t they?”

Will appraised his friend’s handy work and had no problem agreeing. “It looks great.”

Dustin shot Mike a smirk and Mike scowled in return. “You’re just pissy because you lost the bet.”

“I am not.”

“You were pretty mad,” Will cut in. He had framed drawings of his family and friends in his arms and he held them up to the wall to see how they looked. “I knew my sister would get me out of painting.”

“Stupid bet,” mumbled Dustin as he stared down at his paint covered clothes.

“It was your idea,” taunted Mike.

“I can hear you guys fighting all the way down the hall.” They heard Max before they saw her. Seconds later, she appeared in the room with one end of a long yellow curtain. Jane soon followed, holding the other end. “Jonathan’s in the shed getting tools so we can hang these.”

“He better hurry. We don’t have much time.” Mike looked at his watch. He had appointed himself project manager, and they were way behind schedule.

The room was filling up fast, and while it was the second largest in the house, it wasn’t big enough for everyone. When Nancy came in, holding flowery patterned sheets, fresh out of the dryer, the boys scurried out. Their jobs painting, moving, and building, were done.

Two hours later, the girls surveyed the room and admired their handy work. The curtains were up, the pictures were hung, and the furniture was in place. Everything had to be just right. Everything had to be perfect.

“They’re pulling up!” Will called from the living room.

“Hurry up!” added Mike.

Jane practically shook with excitement as she scrambled out of the room, leaving Nancy and Max in her dust.

***

Hopper walked into the house first, dropping Joyce’s hospital bag onto the floor with a thump. His face was a stoic mask as he looked around at the group of teenagers. “What is this?” Anger bubbled beneath the surface of his tone and didn’t dissipate when Jane hurried towards him.

“Where’s Joyce?” she demanded as she tried to look passed him.

Fully aware that his body was blocking her view, he crossed his arms and did nothing to rectify it. “Answer me.” Coming back to a house full of people wasn’t exactly what he had in mind for the homecoming.

Jane stuck her chin out. “Where’s the baby?”

At her clear defiance, the room grew even quieter than before. On baited breath, the group watched Hopper as his frustration built up. “Jane…”

When it became clear that the pair were in a battle of wills, Nancy threw her hands into the air. “Jesus, you guys. Aren’t you gonna explain?” When no one said anything, she glared at them all, including her boyfriend. “They planned a surprise.”

At Nancy’s insistence, Jonathan finally spoke up. “Not a party, don’t worry.”

Hopper scrunched up his nose and was about to demand answers when Jane let out a gasp. Joyce was behind him, he knew without even turning around, so he moved out of the way. It was hard not to panic at the lack of control when she and the baby were soon surrounded by Jonathan, Will, and Jane.

“We’ve got a surprise for you,” Will told her.

Jane rested her head against her shoulder so that she could admire the baby in Joyce’s arms. “And Lee-Lee.”

“You do?” For being tired, sore, and slightly overwhelmed, Joyce didn’t look it. Her eyes were big and bright and shining with happiness.

Jonathan nodded. It was hard to keep his eyes focused on her and not the baby. “I think you’re gonna like it.”

Jane pulled on her arm and Hopper clicked his tongue in distaste. “Give her a minute.”

“It’s alright,” Joyce insisted. “Here, do you wanna take her?”

Surprised by her lack of hesitation, his mood lifted at her offer. Wordlessly, he held out his arms and didn’t even mind the teasing remarks about him going soft that flowed from Lucas and Dustin. “You guys go ahead,” he nodded. He was content where he was. Whatever the surprise was would still be there later.

***

The trio led Joyce down the hall, while the rest of the party followed excitedly behind them.

Joyce looked to her sons in bewilderment. “The surprise is in Jonathan’s room?”

“Well, it’s not exactly mine anymore…”

Before she could say anything else, Will opened the door and motioned for her to go in. When she did, her gasp was clearly audible out in the hall.

Jane joined her and eagerly pointed out the crib and the twin bed that stood across the room from it. “Us girls will share, and the boys are in Will’s room.”

Joyce’s hand moved to cover her lips as she took it all in. Jonathan and Will came to stand beside her. “You guys did all this?”

Will pointed towards the group of people in the doorway. “Well, we had help.”

“Lots of help,” corrected Mike.

“Do you like it?” Jane wondered, as she watched Joyce’s face fill with emotion.

Joyce pulled her into a hug. “I love it.” After a few seconds, she let go and hugged Jonathan and Will, not caring if they were embarrassed by the affection.

“Hey, scram,” came Hopper’s teasing tone. The crowd in front of the doorway parted like a curtain as he stepped through with the baby. He stopped short when he saw the room transformation for himself. He didn’t need an explanation, but Jane gave it anyway and he listened as his wide eyes scanned every inch.

When he spotted the crib, fully put together, he shot Will a knowing glance. “Now she won’t have to sleep in your drawer, huh?”

Shyly, Jonathan said, “I finished it…I figured you wouldn’t have much time.”

Hopper offered him a proud smile. “Thanks, kid.” He glanced towards Joyce, but spoke to everyone. “Should we see if she likes it?” He didn’t wait for a response before gently putting the baby into the crib.

Joyce joined him, followed by Jane and the boys. Soon they were joined by everyone else. The room felt smaller than ever, but no one seemed to mind.

“She’s gonna make a great party member,” Dustin said. “Think of all the things we can teach her…” his words trailed off as Hopper hit with a scowl.

Hopper didn’t let up until Joyce rested a hand on top of his. “She’s got a ways to go for that,” he eventually conceded. His gaze locked on Joyce’s and when she nodded in approval, he let himself relax.

Together, as a family, they watched Natalie wiggle her tiny fingers as she slept and everything just felt right.


End file.
